If You'll Be Mine
by Blueberry Blossoms
Summary: Kallina transferred to Sweet Amoris High not expecting very much, until she finally makes some friends. She meets and falls in love with the prince-like Leigh and guess what...he likes her too! But what happens when Lysander realizes that he has feelings for the girl as well?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sweet Amoris High... Sweet Amoris High... I could've sworn I've heard of the place before but just couldn't seem to put my finger on it. I knew it would drive me crazy trying to remember, but really, what could I do? I would be transferring there in a couple of days after my family and I get ourselves situated in our new home. I personally didn't mind the transfer. After all, it's not like I had many friends back at my old school anyway. *BAM* However, judging by all of the slamming doors I could tell my sister was not one bit enthusiastic about it.

"WHY?! I HAVE FRIENDS MOM, AND I'M NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THEM!" my sister shouted from the top of the staircase. Her name's Samantha. She's a year younger than me, but looks much older with all of the makeup she wears. She has long curly blonde hair that cascades over her petite shoulders, the greenest eyes anyone could imagine, and most of the time, an attitude. A bad one.

Our mother placed one of her hands on the railing of the staircase and calmly spoke to her emotional daughter. "You know that's not true, sweetie. You'll have plenty of chances to see your friends from your old school." She smiled up sweetly to the pouting face at the top of the stairs. Samantha huffed dramatically and stomped to her new bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"I don't know what to do about that kid," my mother sighed turning her attention to me. "So, did you already unpack your things?"

"Yeah, I just finished a little while ago," I told her. My arms were aching from all of the boxes I had to carry into the new house. SO MANY BOXES!

"Well that's good. I know how hard you've been working so why don't you take a break? This town seems nice. Go on out for a while and have some fun, honey! Maybe you'll make some new friends before you even start school!"

Fat chance.

"Okay," I said with a forced smile as I headed for the front door. Where on earth was I supposed to go? I'm seventeen, aren't I a little too old for playing "explorer"? Well, I guess I'll just walk around a little and see what this town really has to offer.

I made my way down the street and allowed my gaze to wander over ever intricate detail of the town. The sun shone brightly, but not too brightly, as it was already sunset. The trees stood firm along the sidewalks, their colored leaves rustling with every gust of wind. You could tell the leaves were getting ready to fall, and I stopped there on the sidewalk just staring at them. I held my breath. More strong breezes brushed the trees, but the leaves held tight. I felt a faint smile grow on my face as I continued walking.

I listened to the sounds of my footsteps as I approached the area of town where the buildings were more condensed. A "downtown" perhaps? The town didn't seem big enough to have one, but it certainly looked like one to me.

I continued listening to the sounds my feet made as they clomped along the freshly swept sidewalk. *Clop, clop, clop* The area was so quiet. No one seemed to be out, but when I looked around I could see couples sitting on stoops and porches. They all seemed to be gazing at the sky. They were smiling...relaxing. I couldn't stop staring. It was all so serene.

My trance was broken when I heard the faint sounds of an electric guitar. I moved a little further down the sidewalk until I met a brick building. By the looks of it I would've guessed it was some sort of club. There were large windows that ran along the front and sides of the building. I walked up to one of them and peered through the lightly tinted glass. On the other side of the room a band was performing. They had a heavier sound, but I liked it. There were a couple of people in the back, but two guys at the front really stood out. They were both playing guitar, but one was also singing. He was wearing Victorian clothes and had hair of silver. His eyes were each a different color, too. So unique! The other was jamming out heavily on his electric guitar. He was wearing "punk-looking" clothes and had bright red hair cut to just below the chin.

They looked and sounded incredible! I couldn't look away. My eyes were locked on both of them as each note blasted through the glass to my ears.

Just at that moment, the red-haired one looked up and saw me. He smirked and exchanged a look with the silver-haired guy. I guess he had already noticed me. They both kept playing, but also kept staring. I could feel my face redden and decided that I had stood there long enough. I smiled quickly at the two before turning and continuing down to the next street.

I trudged along until I came upon a sort of clothing shop. I didn't even need to go inside to know what they sold. There were racks of clothes being displayed out front. They were all the same type, Victorian...just like the silver-haired guy's.

A tall person exited the store, holding a bunch of shirts with ruffles and cuffs, and began to place them among the other pieces on the racks. It was another guy, also dressed in a Victorian style. He had dark angled hair and a fair complexion. I couldn't help but think he looked like a prince. A really cute prince! I felt my face redden a little again and decided to wait until the mysterious, cute stranger went back inside before I walked by his shop. However, he spotted me and of course, caught me staring. I can't help it! If a good-looking guy is around, I always end up staring. It's a curse, I swear.

He gave a slight smile in my direction and then walked back into his store. Just like that, the prince was gone. I suddenly picked up my pace, hoping to get by the shop without meeting the stranger. The last thing I wanted was to act stupid and blush madly in front of a cute guy.

Luckily, I got by with no problems. I kept up with my pace until the shop was out of view and then slowed my trot. It was beginning to get dark out and I was thinking about turning back when I heard yelling come from a house not too far away. I nosily walked down the sidewalk a little further and saw two individuals arguing on the front lawn. One was a boy and the other a girl. They both looked about the same age and were both blonde. Siblings perhaps?

I kept hidden behind a tall bush. It may have obstructed some of my vision, but I could hear absolutely everything. The well-dressed blonde girl was shouting at the boy in a full out tantrum.

"WHY?! YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME EVEN IF YOU ARE OLDER! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I'M GOING OUT!"

Just then, the loud girl stormed by the bush and knocked me over. She looked down at me in disgust but continued stomping away without even apologizing. The boy saw this and shouted after the girl, "AMBER! AMBER!" However, the girl's stride failed to halt and I watched her until she was gone. It was scary how much she reminded me of Samantha.

The boy rushed up to me and lent me one of his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I'm SO sorry for the way my sister acted." He looked genuinely apologetic.

"Oh, it's no problem," I said. "I shouldn't have been in her way..." I smiled at him but he still looked like he wanted to apologize.

"I'm...still sorry..." he said softly. Then he looked up at my smile and managed to match it. "Well, anyway, my name's Nathaniel." He held out his hand in a friendly manner.

"I'm Kallina," I said, accepting his handshake.

"Well Kallina, I'm sorry we had to meet under such circumstances," he said reverting back to his apologetic state. "Hopefully next time it'll be better."

"I'm sure it will be," I said with a laugh. "Well, it's getting dark, so I'd better head back home. See you later."

He looked at me and smiled. "See you later, Kallina."

As I headed back to my house, I felt a happy sensation run through me. I believe I had just made my first friend.

**Author's Note:**

**Hi everyone! If you're reading the author's note then I'm guessing that you have also read the first chapter of my first "My Candy Love" fanfiction. Thank you if that's the case, and if you just came here to read the author's note...well that's just weird :P**

**Feel free to leave reviews and let me know if I need to improve on anything. I'm open to hearing what you have to say, like if you want me to incorporate some sort of detail or story drama that would make the storyline more interesting.**

**Thanks again! -Blueberry Blossoms**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning I woke around nine o'clock. I had stayed up late helping my Mom unload some more stuff that my aunt had brought over. She was always bringing us things that we didn't need. However, my mother has a sort of hoarding problem and loves everything her sister hauls over. We all know she's going to want to keep it all and will just store it somewhere. Guess we won't be using that room off of the hallway as a "rec room" like me and my Dad had discussed. What a shame.

I rolled out of bed and headed to the shower right away. I was hoping Samantha hadn't beaten me there. The thought made me quicken my pace and I listened for any yelling or whining. No signs of her yet. My bare feet thumped along the hardwood floor in the upstairs hallway. The bathroom was just a few rooms away, but I still had a bad feeling. *Thump, thump, thump* Almost there... Almost...

Just then a flash of blonde swept by me and right into the bathroom. The door was slammed shut. I was now at the door and jiggling the handle. Yup, it was locked.

I shouted through the door, "C'mon Samantha! You knew I was going in there!"

She responded quickly, "Too bad! Do you know how long it takes to look as perfect as me?! Go away!"

Perfect? _Perfect?_ She looked more like a hot mess to me.

I could hear the shower come on and I just sighed. I knew she would be in there for a while...like two hours.

"Well, I guess I'll just go get some breakfast for now." I made my way down the stairs and found my Mom sitting in the chair my aunt had brought her. She was reading some sort of novel and hadn't noticed me until I reached the landing at the bottom.

She glanced up at me and smiled. "Well, aren't we ready to go out and see the big wide world today!" she laughed looking at my appearance. I was wearing the same clothes I had had on the day before. My blue sweatpants were brushing the floor and my white T-shirt was riding up a little in the back. I pulled it down and lifted a hand to scratch my head. My shoulder-length brown hair was in a really messy bun, having been slept on all night. Great. Now I'm a hot mess.

I just rolled my eyes and said, "Yeah." Then before she could say anything else I turned and walked into the kitchen. I was hungry. I wanted food, not conversation.

I grabbed a bowl and the open box of cereal that was sitting on the counter. I looked at the bowl and then back at the box of cereal and decided I didn't need the bowl after all. I just shoved my hand into the box and pulled out a handul of the small O-shaped...things that were called cereal. Really, what are these things? Pencil shavings? O-shaped pencil shavings. Yum.

I walked back up the stairs to my room with the box and decided that I should just get dressed. Samantha wasn't going to be out of the bathroom any time soon.

I went to my closet and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray shirt that had a white "09" on it. I've had these clothes for years, but I still liked them. They suited my style. Plain.

I undressed and put on the fresh outfit. My hair was still a mess so I sauntered to the mirror and fixed it. I decided to leave it in a ponytail directly on the back of my head. Not too high, not too low. A few strands of hair escaped the tight grasp of the elastic and hung loosely around the edges of my face. My favorite hairstyle.

Slipping into my white flip-flops I headed back down the stairs. I wanted to go back out for a while and investigate the areas in town that I hadn't gotten to the day before. So far, it was a really ineresting place, filled with really interesting people. Really, REALLY interesting people.

My mind wandered back to the other day's adventure. Those two cute guys in the club room. I wonder who they were...maybe they were famous? Their performance was really good after all. I would love to be able to see them play again sometime! They were like real rockstars! There was that girl, too. The one who knocked me over. What was her name again? Am...Amelia? No. Amanda? No, that wasn't it either. Hmm...Amityville Horror? ...yeah, that sounds familiar. Certainly suits her well... Then there was her brother. Nathaniel. He seemed really nice. I can't wait to see him again! I think it'll be nice having someone to call a friend. Hmm, let's see. Was there anybody else? I could've sworn that I saw someone else. Then I remembered...

_The prince._

I remembered how he looked when I first saw him. Victorian clothes. Dark hair. Mysterious aura. That smile he gave me. It was only a little one, but it was there. Then he vanished back into that store. That sea of frills and ruffles. He was so handsome. I found myself wanting to see him again. Maybe...I should go check out that little shop...? I mean, it wouldn't hurt anybody to just go look. _I want to see that prince again..._

I felt my face warm slightly just at the thought of seeing him again, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to convince my heart out of it.

I sighed. Then trying to boost my confidence before departing, I made a checklist in my mind.

Scent? I sniffed myself and then grabbed a bottle of my sister's vanilla body spray that was left on the coffee table, misting it over myself lightly. Check.

Lip gloss? I reached into the coat pocket of one of my jackets that was hanging up on a hook behind the front door and retrieved a tube of pineapple-flavored gloss. I applied it to my lips gently and took a moment to enjoy its taste. Check.

Hair? Check.

Breath? Check.

Box of O-shaped pencil shavings? Check.

"Mom, I'm going out for a while!" I called to her.

"Okay, dear, but be back in time for dinner!"

I was already halfway out the front door. "Sure thing!" I closed it behind me and knew that my quest had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Wow, this place really isn't that far from my house."

I was standing in front of the clothing shop I had passed by the day before...well, actually I was hiding. Those racks of clothes were still being displayed out front and I was ducking next to a row of fancy-looking purple dress shirts. They were done up nicely with oval black buttons and fringe around the cuffs. You don't see many guys around wearing this sort of stuff, but I really wish they did. The shirts looked incredible! I was staring at them, lost in their details, and wondering which country they had come from when all of a sudden I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and met the purpose of my journey, his face only inches away from my own.

"EEEEP!" I screeched out, falling backward onto the sidewalk. Instantly his eyes grew wide with worry.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you," he spilled quickly, reaching out a hand. "Here."

Still in shock, I took his hand and he helped pull me up. "T-Thanks," I stammered timidly, my eyes glued to the ground. I could feel them longing to glance up at him, to shift up and meet his face once again, and after a few unsuccessful attempts I managed to peek up at him. He was looking back into my eyes and was wearing that same faint smile I had seen the day before. It was so gentle, so beautiful. There was also a light shade of pink on his cheeks as he looked down at something. My eyes followed his downward and I saw it. _We were still holding hands._ His hand was so soft, so warm. I didn't want to let go...

"EEEEP!" I shrieked again, ripping my hand out of his. He looked at me oddly. I knew my face was bright red. There was no way I could hide it from him. He was going to think I was the strangest girl ever. Oh no. _Oh no!_ "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scream!"

He looked down at me with an expression I couldn't read. Oh no! He really did think I was weird! What to do? What to do?! I can't stay here, I can't even look at him! He surely thinks I'm weird! I could feel my cheeks burning more than ever, and did the first thing that came to mind...

With a burst of speed I ran away in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" I heard a voice call to me, but I couldn't bring myself to turn back. I couldn't look back at him. I had just made a fool of myself in front of the cutest guy I had ever seen. There's no way I could go back. There was no way.

I just kept running. Running away from the humiliation, from his eyes, from his inevitable rejection. There was no way he'd even want to talk to someone like me. He was so cool, so kind, so amazing! I'm sure everybody liked him. Why would he bother to notice someone as odd as me?

I was still running at full speed. I couldn't stop. My legs wouldn't let me. I was a rocket flying down the sidewalk blindly. Everything was moving so fast, everything was a blur. I couldn't see anything.

I was still flying when I smashed into somebody exiting a brick building. Before I knew it we were on the ground and I could feel a wave of pain wash over me.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, grabbing my leg with one hand. I could tell I had scraped it when I brought my hand up to my face and saw a smear of blood.

"Hey! Watch where your going!" growled the person I had run into. He was wearing punk-looking clothes and had bright red hair. The rock star!

I just stared at him for a moment before he scowled and barked, "DO YOU MIND?!" I hadn't realized until just then that I had been lying on top of him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean it!" I apologized sincerely, trying to push myself off of him. Then I heard the snickering.

"Wow, Castiel, you can't even take a little push like that without falling over?!" The other rock star, the one with silver hair, was trying to keep from bursting into laughter at the sight of his friend being pinned to the ground beneath me. I felt my face grow warm again, but tried my best to hide it. I had finally gotten up and I flinched at the pain that had run up my leg. A small stream of blood was trickling down from my knee, seeping through my jeans, and when the silver-haired guy saw it he immediately grew serious.

"Are you okay?" he asked rushing to my side. His eyes were darting back and forth from the wound to my eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," I said looking down at my leg.

"We have to get that cleaned up before it gets infected," he said to me. Then taking my arm he led me into the club he had just come out of. No one was around. He walked me to the stage area and sat me down there, telling me to wait while he goes to look for a first aid kit. The red-haired guy had followed us inside and was now standing against the wall staring at me.

"I really am sorry for running into you..." I didn't know what else to say. I looked up at him but he just looked away.

"Yeah, yeah, just watch where your going from now on!" he said sharply. After a few moments he looked back over at me and began to stare again. He looked me up and down a couple of times before asking, "...Do I know you from somewhere?"

I looked at him quizzically. "Umm...what do you mean?"

He once again waited a few moments before answering. "...I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

I was just about to say something when the other guy returned carrying a small box.

"Okay, I've found it," he announced. He approached me and put the box on the stage, opening it and fishing out the necessary supplies while I rolled up my pantleg. He began to clean my cut with some rubbing alcohol and instantly I hissed at the pain.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It'll be over in just a minute."

Another minute passed before he shut the first aid kit and sighed, "Done."

"Thank you very much." I looked down at my leg. The wound was cleaned excellently but the blood on my jeans would have to wait to be washed out. "You did a great job!"

"Thank you very much," the silver-haired boy echoed. He smiled at me warmly and I did the same. The red-haired boy came up next to him and continued to look me up and down. He looked like he wanted to say something but the other guy beat him to it.

"So, what's your name?"

"I'm Kallina."

"Nice to meet you, Kallina. My name's Lysander, and this scary-looking guy over here is Castiel," he said putting a hand on the red-haired boy's shoulder. "He's usually much more talkative."

"I see."

He smiled again and walked over to my side. Castiel stood firm and kept staring at me. Is he still thinking that he knows me from somewhere?

"So," Lysander said casually. "I've been meaning to ask you, what did you think of our performance the other night?"

Castiel's eyes grew wide. _Now_ he recognized me.

"You're the girl from last night! The girl who was watching us through the window!" he exclaimed, a smirk forming on his face. "I _knew _I knew you from somewhere."

My face was heating up, but I managed to say, "Yeah, that was me. I heard your music from the street and was curious..." I looked at the ground.

"So what did you think of it?" Lysander asked again.

"I really liked it, it sounded really cool. It's like some new form of rock!" I said to him. Both of them just beamed after hearing that.

"Really?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah, do you guys perform often? I'd like to hear your music again sometime."

They responded almost in unison. "Tomorrow night at eight."

"That's awesome! Would you guys mind if I came and watched?" I asked.

They just snickered. "Duh!"

We all talked for a little while longer before I decided I should head back home.

"Well, I have to go now, but it was cool meeting you both," I said cheerfully.

"Same," Lysander responded. Castiel was just looking at me, that smirk still in place.

"Tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night."

With that I left the brick building. I had a gauze taped to my knee, a smile on my face, and two new friends. And they were rock stars! Things were really beginning to look up.

**Hi one and all! Thank you SOOO much for reading! It is so much fun writing fanfiction. Like all of the other pieces of fanfiction I've read on this site, I've tried to convey my passion for writing through this as well. Why lock it all up in your head when you have the option to share it with the world? It's amazing to have others read what you write, so again I thank you for your time and patience. Thank you to all who have favorited, reviewed, or are following this story. It means so much!**

**Please review and let me know what you think! -Blueberry Blossoms**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was the next morning and I was already heading out the door. The day I would start school had finally arrived and I was actually rather excited. Maybe making friends wouldn't be as hard as I had imagined. I mean, I've already gotten to know some people outside of school, so hopefully the students at Sweet Amoris High will be equally as kind.

"Bye! I'm heading out now!" I called into the kitchen where my parents were tending to their daily routines. My father was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in one hand and the morning newspaper in the other. Whatever he was reading, he was fully engrossed by it. My mother had just finished washing the dishes from the amazing breakfast she had cooked for us and was now drying her hands on a rag that was on the counter.

She looked over toward me and asked, "Do you have everything?"

"Yes," I replied.

"_Everything?_" I saw a smirk widen into a smile on her face, and knowing that she wouldn't let up until I hugged her goodbye, I walked over to her, rolling my eyes, and embraced her tightly. "Oh, I knew you wouldn't forget!" she sang cheerfully.

I smiled at her, rolling my eyes again. "Well, I'm off." But before I could reach the door...*SLAM*

Ugh...here she comes.

Samantha stomped down the stairs with a pout glued to her face and her arms crossed. She was dressed nicely in a short pink skirt and a cute black blouse. Her curly blonde hair was up in a high ponytail and, as always, her face was caked with creams and foundation. Her eyes were lined with thick black eyeliner and her lips were covered in a rosy shade of lipstick. Her boots shook the house as she stomped around in them. Then after approaching the kitchen she stopped in her tracks and the minor earthquake had settled.

"Let's go, Dad," she said. "I need you to drive me to school."

"Why don't you just walk with your sister, dear?" my Mom asked. "The weather is simply gorgeous and the school's not very far away." My sister looked horrified.

"There is NO way I'm going to WALK to school!" my sister barked. She glared at her mother and then turned toward her father. "LET'S GO, DAD! DO YOU WANT ME TO BE LATE!"

My father just sighed and set down his newspaper. He knew that she wouldn't stop yelling until she got her way.

"Fine," he said wearily, and then he faced me. "Kallina, there's not much of a point in walking if I'm going to be driving over there anyway. Come on, I'll drive you too."

I knew that any protests I made against the matter would be pointless. I sighed as I grabbed my bag and followed my sister and father out to the family's Chrysler.

Within a few minutes we had pulled up to the school. It was of a fair size and looked like a well-established environment for learning. From the outside where I stood it looked clean and beautiful. I just gazed at the building. So this is it...Sweet Amoris High...it really does look amazing.

Just then I was pushed aside. Samantha looked back at me with a scowl before strutting her way up to the front doors. A moment later she had disappeared behind them. She had made it in and now it was my turn. I waved back to my father and then began to walk forward.

Come on! You can do this, Kallina! It's just like your old school! Well, sort of. You'll make plenty of new friends and they'll all like you! Maybe you'll even find yourself a boyfriend! I was trying to give myself a pep talk. Sure I felt really excited about being here, but at the same time I was still extremely nervous. However, I knew that if I couldn't overcome something as casual as this, I'd never be able to truly overcome anything. With that thought in mind, I pushed open the front doors.

I had entered into a long corridor. There were lockers lining the walls on both sides and people crowding the hallway. It looked quite clean despite a few pieces of paper having been strewn upon the tiled floor. Again, I lost myself, this time in the exquisite interior, and was standing in the middle of the hall, staring. Then I heard a bell ring and quickly snapped back to reality. I moved down the hall before realizing that I had _no idea where I was supposed to go._

The halls were nearly empty now. I didn't know what to do. I turned around and spotted a blonde-haired boy walking in the opposite direction and instinctively chased after him, knowing that I needed someone's assistance. I reached him within a second.

"Excuse me, I'm new and don't know where I'm supposed to go. Could you please help me?"

The boy turned to face me. _Nathaniel! _He instantly recognized me and smiled.

"Kallina, right?"

"Yeah."

"I thought I saw that name on the list of transfer students. Haha! Well, follow me to the student council room and we'll get you situated properly."

I traced his steps to an empty room on the right side of the corridor. It was filled with bookshelves, filing cabinets, and papers. A big table was set in the center of the room and was surrounded by comfortable-looking conference chairs. Nathaniel looked through a pile of papers on the table for a few moments and then turned back, handing me my schedule and photo ID.

"Aren't I supposed to pay a fee first? And how'd you get my picture for the ID?!" I asked, confused.

"No need to worry. Your parents had everything taken care of for you. You can start your classes right away." He smiled again.

"Wow, thanks!" I exclaimed. "Then I guess I'd better be off." He waved and watched me as I exited the room.

"See you later!" he called after me.

In the hallway I looked over my schedule. My first class was geometry. I glanced at the room number and walked a little ways before finding my classroom along the left wall. The door was open and I could see a large group of students conversing inside. There didn't appear to be a teacher in the room. I quickly crept inside and found a seat in the back. Just then another bell rang and the teacher strolled into the room. Phew! I made it! The teacher began the class by grabbing her attendance list and looking it over.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It looks as though we have a new student in the class." Knowing all of the other students already it didn't take her long to find me amongst the sea of faces that were familiar to her. "Ah! There you are! Please come to the front of the class and introduce yourself."

I gulped as I slowly inched my way to the front of the classroom. Everyone's eyes were on me as I turned to face them, my hair hiding the sides of my face. I could feel my legs shaking, and the tight black skinny jeans I was wearing weren't doing anything to hide the nervous fidget.

"Uh...I-I'm...uh..." I allowed my hands to sink into the giant front pocket of my white sweatshirt and fiddled with my thumbs as I searched for words. "I-I'm...Kallina..." Silence filled the room. It was unsettling. I felt like some sort of strange creature being put on display. Every eye was glued to my nervous visage. "Kallina Lowe."

"Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say it's very nice to meet you, Kallina." The teacher smiled warmly. "You may take your seat."

I sauntered back toward my chosen desk in the last row, being careful not to trip over anything in my path. Knowing me, I'd end up tripping over my own foot and make a fool out of myself. Oh man, I could only imagine the excruciating embarrassment! Whatever I do, I cannot let that happen. I just can't!

Luckily, I made it back without my clumsiness getting the better of me. Success!

The teacher commenced with her lesson, passing out various worksheets and talking about triangles and other geometric figures. Apparently the class had been learning about "proofs" before I had arrived, and now I would have to familiarize myself with this mysterious concept. It'll take some time before getting used to this sort of stuff. Math never was my strongest subject.

The teacher droned on and on and I found myself staring at the clock in agony, imploring it to end my misery. It refused me mercy and continued ticking, louder and louder until it was all that I could hear. I glared at it with a sort of malice. How dare it mock me! I knew that it would not let up on its bullying and tried to find something else to occupy my attention. I allowed my eyes to scan the room, looking for something, _anything_ interesting. Then I found them. Two pairs of eyes along the right side of the room were watching me. Then I saw two little smirks. They knew I had spotted them.

Lysander? Castiel? WHAT?! They're in my class? Why hadn't I noticed this?! I blame you, wretched clock! I shook my head, snickering a little to myself. I didn't even know that they were my age! Not only this, but they also go to my school, and on top of THAT, they are inhabiting the desks just a few rows away from mine. Wow.

The bell finally rang and I gathered my belongings in a hurry, wanting to go and greet the two friends I had just discovered shared the same class as me. They beat me, however. I was shoving a folder into my bag when I heard someone say, "So, now you're following us?"

I looked up and saw Castiel, a giant grin plastered on his face and his arms crossed. I decided to play along and dramatically said, "Oh no! You've caught me! I'm sorry, but I just can't help stalking you two! I'm your number one fan!" I rolled my eyes and smiled a little mischievously.

"I knew it!" he accused sarcastically. Lysander then appeared beside me, chuckling a little at the over exaggerated skit. He then seemed to remember something and looking down at my leg asked, "How's your knee?"

"Well," I said, now sounding serious, "there's good news and there's bad news." They both raised their eyebrows, obviously not expecting to hear that. Lysander frowned.

"And what would this news be?"

"Well, the good news is that my knee is still there, fully intact. I really thought I was gonna lose another one..." I peeked at their faces to try and read their expressions. They both looked utterly confused, so I continued. "And the bad news is..." I whispered. They both leaned in a little closer to hear. I peered up into their eyes and a smile formed on my face. Once he saw it, Lysander's eyes widened with understanding.

"It hurt SO bad ripping that gauze off later!"

I began to laugh and Lysander just put a hand over his face, realizing I had been messing with them. "I must admit, you almost had me going there," he said, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upward. He had such a nice smile.

"Wait, that was all a joke?" Castiel was still puzzled. "I thought you were going to tell us that your knee had to be amputated or something!" At that, Lysander and I burst into laughter. Castiel just stood there. "Hey, it's not funny!"

After another few minutes we had finally stopped laughing. Lysander, now fully composed, peered down into my eyes with his own mismatched set. "That was pretty funny, but we'd better start heading to our next class. What do you have, Kallina?"

"Um..." I looked down at the schedule in my hand. "Music." Castiel and Lysander lit up again.

"You really are following us aren't you?" Castiel accused. "We have the same thing."

"That's awesome!" I said.

Then Lysander broke in, "Yeah, but it won't be very good if we're late. Let's go." Then as I went to grab my bag, Lysander stepped up and said, "Let me carry that for you." He took it without me saying a word and started for the door. He turned back to me and Castiel. "Come on." Castiel then put his hands in his pockets and walked beside me as we followed the silver-haired boy.

After several more hours school had ended and I was making my way for the front doors. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lysander waving at me to come over to where he was. I weaved my way through the mass of other students who had also been heading for the exit and met him by his locker. "Hey, what's up?"

He smiled as he asked me, "Are you still coming to see our band play tonight?" He almost seemed to be holding his breath as he waited for a reply.

"Of course! I can't wait to see it!" He seemed to blush at my words. "I'll be there for eight o'clock."

We walked outside together. He was telling me about how their band had formed and what kind of songs they liked to write about. It was all so interesting! It only made me even more excited to go see them perform that night. We were almost halfway to the street when Lysander looked up at a navy blue Oldsmobile.

"There's my ride. I have to go, but I'll see you tonight."

"Definitely," I told him, and then I watched as he made his way over to the car. He looked back and I waved to him. He then opened the door of the old-fashioned automobile and vanished inside of it. But right at that very moment my hand halted in midair and my eyes grew wide.

Wait a minute... Am I...hallucinating...? I could've sworn I just saw... Nah, it couldn't be. Right? Ahaha! It must've been my imagination! There's just no way!

Still trying to brush the thought from my mind, I began to walk home.

Eight o'clock arrived more quickly than I had expected it would, but I didn't mind. I was ready to head out and have some fun. I had changed into a short black skirt and was wearing a pretty black sleeveless top that had some silver detailing around the neckline. I had small silver hoop earrings in my ears and had my hair down. It was being pinned back slightly on the left side by a red bobby pin and looked really good. For the final touch of personality, I slipped into my black converse sneakers and went downstairs. My mother knew that I would be going and was happy that I had finally made some new friends.

At the bottom of the stairs I yelled to her, "Bye, Mom, I'm leaving!"

"Okay, honey, have fun!" she answered.

I opened the door but before I knew it...

"WAIT! I'M GOING WITH YOU!"

I turned and saw Samantha standing behind me in a skimpy little red dress and black high heels. She had smoky eyeshadow smeared over her eyelids and bright red lipstick on her lips. Big gold earrings hung down from her ears and her hair was sitting in an extra curly mass on top of her head.

I looked at the mess before me and flatly said, "No."

"WHY NOT?! I WANT TO GO WITH YOU! IT'S NOT FAIR THAT YOU GET TO GO TO PARTIES AND I DON'T!" Then she turned toward the kitchen and yelled, "MOM!"

My mother came out of the kitchen and Samantha hysterically tried to convince her to make me take her with me. They went back and forth for a little bit and I decided to use the opportunity to escape unnoticed. I crept out of the house unseen and made my way to the club. I got there shortly after eight and went inside. The place wasn't packed but there was a good amount of people there. I walked in and found a table in the back corner that was unoccupied by anyone. I sat there and patiently waited for Lysander and Castiel's band to come out. Ten minutes had passed but they still weren't on yet. However, I continued to wait. I knew they'd be on shortly.

There were people absolutely _everywhere_ at this point. Some were drinking, some were dancing to the other band's music, others were just sitting and talking, and here I was alone in the back. It was sort of lonely. People watching was fun, but I really didn't know any of these people. Not one person looked familiar.

Oh, wait. Did I speak too soon? Just at that moment another individual had entered into the room. He searched for a spot along the wall and once he found a good one he just stood there silently, conversing with no one. Did he share the same loneliness as me? He seemed to watch the people just as I had and let his eyes wander the room. His attention moved from person to person but he showed no interest in any of them. In a few moments his drifting gaze rested on me. Our eyes locked on each other. I couldn't seem to look away, but neither could he. After another minute of awkwardly staring at each other, he finally looked away. I took the chance and looked down at the table, trying to comprehend what had just happened. It was so strange, but at the same time I could feel my face turning red. My heart was also beating a little faster. What was this strange feeling? It's just too weird! I looked back up and my heart just stopped. The person was once again looking at me, but now he was also walking in my direction. I just stared, watching how each ruffle in his Victorian outfit moved as he inched closer and closer.

_The prince was approaching me._

**Aunthor's Note:**

**Hey guys, how'd you like the new chapter? I tried to make it longer since it seems that people like longer ones. It certainly takes some time to make, but it was fun. I really hope that you enjoyed it! If you have any suggestions for the storyline, by all means tell me! I've been making up every part of this as I type it! Haha, well anyways, I thank you guys for reading! Please review! -Blueberry Blossoms**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

My foot was tapping the floor nervously as the handsome stranger from the clothing shop walked toward me. I just couldn't break eye contact with him. His facial expression was driving me insane! He wasn't smiling nor was he frowning, and his eyes said nothing as they stared back into mine. It seemed as though he was looking right into my soul, but I really hoped that he couldn't. That would be so embarrassing! I could feel my face grow warm with the mere thought of it.

He was getting closer and closer, his steps now in sync with my pounding heartbeat. What should I do? What should I do? My first instinct was to run, just like the last time, but something kept me seated there. It was as though I were glued to my chair. _Something_ wanted me to stay there. It wanted me to meet the prince again. Destiny perhaps?

He had taken one final step and was now standing before me. I had forgotten how tall he was, and looking up into his dark eyes from my chair, he seemed even taller. All of his features stood out even more now as I gazed upon him. His deep beautiful eyes, his amazing fair complexion, his alluring pink lips. Certainly if the being before me was not a prince, it was an angel. It had to be. A beautiful Victorian angel.

I kept staring, my mouth agape. He just looked back. Oh no, oh no. What should I do? What should I do?!

Just then his expressionless face lightened. His lips curved up slightly at the corners and his eyes smiled back into mine. _He really was an angel._

"...Hi," he said softly. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

My mouth was still open but for some reason it couldn't seem to respond, so I just nodded. His smile widened slightly more as he pulled out the chair directly across from me and sat down. He looked around the room for a moment as he got himself positioned comfortably. He rested one elbow on the arm of his chair and the other on the table, folding his hand beneath his chin in an elegant sort of fashion. Once settled, he met my eyes again.

"You were the girl at my store the other day." His voice was so soft, but at the same time, confident. It wasn't very high, but it wasn't very deep either. It was somewhere right in the middle. It was perfect. "You were looking at the purple shirts on display."

"Oh." I was finally able to speak. "Yeah, that was me..." I looked away.

He paused and appeared to be trying to read into my soul like before, silently capturing every move I made with his eyes. Then he slowly tilted his head a little to the left, his eyes now staring beyond me to the wall, zoning out. He moved his hand out from under his chin and began to twirl his hair in his fingers.

"You ran away."

I swallowed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to. It's just that...well, you startled me..." My face was beginning to turn red again. I could feel it.

He snapped out of his daze upon hearing my words and put both of his hands on his lap, looking down at them.

"Sorry. I really didn't mean to... It's just that...I've never seen you before...and I wanted to welcome you to my shop..." His voice dropped almost to a whisper and his cheeks were beginning to turn the same shade of pink that they had the day before. He played with his thumbs and avoided making eye contact with me, looking off to the side instead. Could it be...he's _shy?_

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. I was instead wondering why he was even there. Was he really into this type of music? He was such a mysterious person.

We sat there in an awkward silence for what seemed like forever. What else was there to really say? I tried to think of something, anything to break the quiet, but he beat me to it.

"What's you name?" he asked, tilting his head again.

"Um...I'm Kallina," I answered. "What's yours?"

"Leigh."

He smiled again and held out a hand in greeting. I hesitantly took it and he gently grabbed my hand with both of his, staring into my eyes again.

"It's really nice to meet you, Kallina."

I was paralyzed. My heart was pounding uncontrollably. I was remembering the first time we had held hands. His were so soft and warm and comfortable, but the ones that were grasping my hand now felt about ten times better! My face reddened.

"I-It's nice to m-meet you too...Leigh." The taste of his name was so sweet, like sugar on my tongue.

I looked up at his smiling face and allowed one to form on mine as well. This moment was just so incredible, so perfect, and I didn't want it to end, but then the lights dimmed a bit and a voice came over the speakers. A familiar voice.

I looked over at the stage and saw the next group, standing and ready to perform. The lead vocalist was gripping the microphone in one hand and pointing at the already cheering crowd with his other.

"I hope you are all enjoying yourselves tonight!" he shouted, his silver hair sparkling under the spotlights. "But let's take it up a notch!"

Just then, the lead guitarist burst into a full out jam, strumming his instrument wildly and producing the most amazing sounds I had ever heard. My eyes lit up as I watched him, and then the vocalist began to sing. His voice was like melted chocolate. It was so sweet and I couldn't seem to get enough. Just then, Leigh let go of my hand and altered the position of his chair so that he was now angled toward the stage. He seemed just as interested in the group as I was.

The crowd was cheering insanely as their first song approached its end. I shared their enthusiasm and stood up out of my chair, clapping madly.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, "WOO! GO LYSANDER!"

Leigh glanced up at me, a curious expression on his face.

"You know Lysander?" he asked, almost amused.

"Yeah," I replied, sitting down again. "He and Castiel are my friends, and we all share the same classes in school."

"I see," he said, beginning to twirl his hair again.

"Do you know him?" I asked suddenly.

"I guess you could say that." He looked over at me and smiled again. "He's my brother."

My eyes widened. "What?! You two are brothers?" My eyes darted from Lysander to the person sitting in front of me and back. Well, they _did_ both have the same sort of wardrobe, and I haven't seen many others wearing this sort of style... I guess it made sense...but why hadn't I noticed until now?!

"Yeah, he's my younger brother." He looked up at Lysander on the stage. "We have slightly different personalities and tastes, but for the most part people can tell that we're siblings."

I felt a little stupid but continued with, "So you and Lysander must have the same taste in music, huh?"

"Well, not really," he said, folding his hands on the table. "I'm more into classical music, but I come here every so often to support my brother." He listened as Lysander sang out passionately. "I must admit, I do like some of their songs, though."

We sat there quietly as the show went on. Each song was outstanding! Castiel played the guitar SO well, and Lysander's voice gave me chills, especially at the intense parts. I had no idea that he could be this outgoing! I was always used to seeing him in a reserved and mannerly state. What a surprise!

After they performed another number of songs, Lysander stepped up to the front of the stage.

"Thank you everyone! You've been a lovely audience!"

The crowd applauded noisily with cheers and clapping. Lysander scanned the room, soaking in the view of the vast sea of fans. His eyes passed over me for just a moment but darted back within the next. He smiled and seemed to be blushing as I stood and clapped. After another minute the band disappeared backstage and the audience began to exit from the building. Leigh and I remained at our table, waiting for Castiel and Lysander to emerge once everyone was gone. It took about half an hour for the place to be emptied, but it was worth the wait. Lysander and Castiel then stepped out from a room at the side and sauntered over to where we were.

"You guys were AMAZING!" I exclaimed, almost jumping from my chair. "It was SO much better than I had even imagined!"

They both blushed and laughed.

"Thanks," Castiel said, another smirk revealing itself. "You know, you really are my favorite stalker."

I rolled my eyes at his comment and sarcastically said, "You got that right, buddy."

As I continued talking to the rock stars, I noticed Leigh watching me out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to be zoning out again, in some sort of trance, but this time he wasn't looking at the wall. His eyes were locked on me, and that faint smile was stuck on his lips. Lysander looked at him and then turned to me again.

"So, I see you've met my brother."

I began to laugh a little nervously, knowing that Leigh was still watching. "Yeah."

"Hope he didn't cause you too much trouble," Lysander said sarcastically, eyeing Leigh.

"Yeah," Castiel cut in. A mischievous look appeared on his face. "Who knows what you two could've been doing back here in the corner...all alone..."

My face burned with embarrassment. I glanced at Leigh and his face was also scarlet in color. He crossed his arms and began to stare at the wall, trying to laugh the comment off. I was at a loss for words, but my face seemed to say enough as Castiel burst into laughter. I tried to say something, but a sweet girly voice pierced through the air.

"Oh, Kallinaaaaa!" it sang.

We all looked over at a girl. She was wearing a skimpy red dress and had extra curly blonde hair. Oh no...

"Samantha?! What are you doing here?!" I quickly walked over to her and grabbed her wrist. "Come on, we're going home."

She yanked away from me and flashed me a look of disgust as she turned and faced the group of guys.

"Oh, hi!" she exclaimed in a soft innocent voice. "You must be Kallina's friends!" She strolled over to them and flashed them each an enormous grin. "I'm her sister. You can call me Samantha."

I made my way back over to them, glaring at her the entire way.

She ignored the rage in my eyes and looked at Castiel and Lysander. "You two were absolutely INCREDIBLE on stage! I've never heard such amazing music!" They nodded their heads in appreciation, but didn't smile.

I knew she was lying through her teeth and glared even harder. She had never been into that type of music. EVER. What was she up to?

"So what are your names?" she asked the three guys. Lysander spoke up.

"Well, I'm Lysander, and this is Castiel, and this is my brother, Leigh." The prince glanced at the girl, but having no interest in her, resumed staring at the wall.

"I see..." she said before playfully placing a hand on Castiel's shoulder. She beamed up at him when he looked down at her.

"You know," she said. "You're kind of cute. How'd you like to go out sometime?" She bit her lip in a girly manner and bat her eyelashes at him, but he just rolled his eyes and sighed uncomfortably, shaking her off.

"No," he said bluntly.

Samantha's eyes grew wide and her smile vanished. She wasn't used to hearing that word.

"What? Why?!" she exclaimed, hurt by his rejection. He looked down at her and shuddered.

"It's just that...you remind me too much of someone else...someone I can't stand." He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided eye contact with the girl.

Samantha was speechless. As she searched for words, the rest of us headed out the door.

We were now standing outside. The cool night air was brushing my skin and I was looking up at the moon. It was ivory and full. What a magnificent sight.

Leigh caught me staring at it and smiled peacefully, his arms still crossed. Then Lysander walked over and stood beside me.

"Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow," he said peering into my eyes.

"Yeah, see you." I began to walk along the sidewalk when I heard a voice call after me. I turned to see Leigh, his arms now down at his sides and a look of worry crossing his face.

"You're not walking home alone are you?" he asked. But before I could answer he quickly walked up to me and wrapped his hand around my wrist tenderly. "Come on, Lysander and I will give you a ride." He began to lead me to a navy blue Oldsmobile and Lysander followed, nodding in agreement. "It could be dangerous walking alone at night."

Just then Samantha burst through the front doors. Her arms were crossed tightly and she was pouting. She refused to look at me or my friends and stormed away angrily down the sidewalk. I knew I shouldn't let her walk alone and turned back to Leigh.

"Thanks anyway, but I should really stay with my sister. Like you said, it could be dangerous."

He began to protest, but before he finished what he was saying I ran off in the direction of my sister, leaving the three boys behind.

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I feel like it's the best one so far, but that's merely my opinion. I think I have finally come up with a good storyline, too. I was pondering about it yesterday and wrote out a list of things I want to happen in it, so at least now I have some sort of idea of what's going to happen...but you don't. MWAHAHAHA! Please review, you beautiful people! :D -Blueberry Blossoms**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was the next day and the final bell had rung. I was walking out of English with Castiel and Lysander and was heading toward my locker. It was up toward the front of the school on the left side of the hallway.

"Hey, we'll catch up with you in a little bit," Castiel said as he turned slightly. His and Lysander's lockers were down at the other end of the hall toward the very back.

"Sure, no problem," I answered flashing them each a big grin. It had been a pretty good day and I couldn't help but feel cheerful and optimistic. The weather was nice, I had gotten to eat my mother's famous flapjacks for breakfast, I had been able to understand everything that was going on in geometry, AND I had beaten Samantha to the bathroom this morning. Oh, boy, was she mad.

I continued walking to my locker in a sort of daze as I remembered how she had looked when I had finally come out from taking a long shower. Her face had been absolutely priceless! I was laughing at the thought of it when suddenly I walked into someone and spilled my books all over the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I said to the person as I kneeled down and began to gather the textbooks. "I didn't see you there!"

I looked up and saw a girl with long wavy blonde hair glaring down at me with her arms crossed and a designer bag slung over her shoulder. _Nathaniel's sister._ She snarled at me and her two friends stood back a little, looking down at me as though I were the most pathetic creature they had ever laid eyes on. I peered back into the blonde girl's eyes and could see a deep hatred emerging. I shivered. I swear, if you gave her some horns and a pitchfork she could've passed for the devil.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" she snapped, obviously annoyed.

"Uh...sorry..." I apologized again, now standing. "I really didn't mean to bump into you."

"How DARE you even think of pushing me! Just WHO do you think you are?!" she continued, ignoring my apology.

"Um..." I didn't know how to respond to someone so...ignorant? "Um...well...my name's Kallina." I held out a hand and forced a small smile onto my face, hoping that she'd accept the friendly gesture and calm down a bit.

"Ooooh," she said with an evil smirk. "The _new_ girl, huh? Well, aren't _we_ brave. Not even the girls who have been here for as long as I have would dare lay a finger on me. After all..." She placed one hand on her hip and used the other one to flip her hair over her shoulder. "My older brother's the student body president."

"Oh," I said, a little surprised. "Nathaniel's the student body president? I didn't know that."

The girl's eyes narrowed at me. "How do YOU know MY brother?"

"He's a friend of mine," I replied with a smile. "He's really nice. I think-"

*SMACK*

I stood there silently with wide eyes. I raised a hand and gently placed it on my cheek, a stinging pain emanating through it as I realized what had just happened. _She slapped me._

"DON'T YOU DARE GO NEAR MY BROTHER EVER AGAIN!" she yelled in my face. "HE WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE AS PATHETIC AND UGLY AS YOU!" Her words made me take a step back.

Pathetic? _Ugly? _Do people really view me that way? _Does Nathaniel really view me that way?_

I was at a loss for words. I couldn't say anything nor could I move. I was a statue, holding my cheek and staring at the devil herself.

"GET LOST YOU FREAK!" she shouted while her friends just looked over her shoulder, laughing.

I couldn't do it. I just couldn't take anymore! I grabbed my bag off of the ground and dashed out the front doors. I didn't know where I was headed but I knew that I just had to get away. I bit my lip to keep from crying as I darted toward the side of the school. It was an area I had never been to before. Surely it was abandoned. Somewhere I would be able to be alone. When I finally stopped, I had found myself in some sort of garden.

The area was positively beautiful. There were trees of every size, flowers of every color, and bushes trimmed delicately and with precision all over the place! There was a greenhouse in the corner and there were birds and squirrels chirping and squeaking peacefully in the trees. It was like a little park. Quiet, serene, tranquil. The perfect place to escape to.

I continued examining the area and discovered a gorgeous cherry blossom tree amongst a row of maples. My eyes beheld its magnificent image as I slowly made my way over to it. Some of the blossoms were drifting down to the ground and I just marveled at their beauty. So incredibly beautiful. I crouched down and sat at the base of the tree, placing my bag beside me on a soft patch of fallen blossoms. I leaned back against the bark and lifted my gaze upward to the blossom-filled branches. The sun was shining and peeking it's way through the flowers, some of the rays falling on my face. I held a hand up to block them, but looked through the cracks in my fingers. Everything was so bright. So amazing. I wonder, is this what heaven's like?

Staring upward and losing myself in the blossoms, I hadn't noticed a boy entering into the garden. He had lime green hair and was dressed in a white shirt and green overalls and was carrying a spade and bucket. He ended up spotting me first, my eyes still locked on the view above me, and called out.

"Kallina?"

I looked over in the direction from which I had heard my name be called and saw him, standing in awe, a smile spreading over his face. My eyes grew wide as I realized who it was.

"Jade?!" I stood up, looking the boy over to be sure it was really him, and once satisfied, ran over to give him a giant bear hug. I was now smiling ear to ear, completely forgetting about the misery I had been experiencing just a few minutes before.

"What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed, still in shock at seeing my only true friend from my old school standing before me.

"Don't you remember? I'm sure I told you," he answered. "I'm in a gardening program. I commute here every other afternoon to help out with planting and stuff."

"Oh yeah!" I said, remembering. "_You_ were the one who first told me about Sweet Amoris High! I _knew_ this place rang a bell, but I just couldn't put my finger on it."

He laughed and gave me another big hug.

"So _this_ is where you transferred to, huh?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm so glad! I thought I'd never get to see you again!"

"Hah." I smirked and then added sarcastically, "Too bad. I really thought this was my chance to be rid of you once and for all." I looked away, watching him from the corner of my eye. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, a smirk of his own emerging on his lips.

"Oh, really!" he said, playfully poking me in the side like he had always done back at our old school, and just like always, I burst into laughter. He then walked over to the cherry blossom tree I had been sitting under and plopped down onto the soft grass. He leaned back like I had done and turned his head toward me.

"Well, come on!" he shouted, patting the ground beside him. "I want to hear about everything you've been up to since you left!"

I smiled again and made my way back over to the beautiful tree.

**Lysander's POV:**

"Where is she?" I heard Castiel say as we walked toward the front of the building. "Didn't she say she'd be waiting by her locker?"

I scanned the corridor but found no trace of Kallina anywhere.

"Hmm, it doesn't appear that she's here," I said, still looking around. "Maybe she's waiting outside?" I was really hoping she hadn't left. I wanted to see her again... I don't really know why, but what I did know was that I always felt pretty good whenever she was around.

"Well, let's go see," Castiel said casually as we approached the front doors, pushing them open.

We looked around but didn't see her. Where could she be? She told us she'd wait for us. She couldn't have forgotten, could she? I was frowning on the inside, but tried my best not to let it show on my face.

"I guess..." Castiel began to say, "...maybe something came up?"

Now my despair was showing on my face. I couldn't hide it.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Maybe..."

We decided to just leave. Castiel was giving me a ride today and we began to walk over toward his car when I heard him say something to me. I turned back to him and saw him pointing in the direction of the school's garden.

"Look!" he whispered loudly. My gaze followed in the direction his finger was pointing and landed on a cherry blossom tree. There appeared to be two figures sitting beneath it but I couldn't make out who they were. I squinted my eyes and took a couple of steps forward before figuring it out...

_Kallina..._

...and that gardening club kid? What was she doing with _him?_

I found myself growing more and more curious and inched my way toward the garden when Castiel caught me by the arm.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked. "You're not gonna go in there are you?"

"No, no, of course not," I assured him. "I just want to get a closer look and see what they're up to..."

A mischievous smirk appeared on Castiel's face.

"It's not like _you _to go and _spy_ on people," he said, crossing his arms. "Especially pretty girls."

I felt my face begin to grow warm, but tried to ignore his comment.

"Hey, I'm just curious. I've never seen anyone really talk to that commuter before. I'm just wondering how Kallina knows him is all." Castiel gave me a look.

"What?" I said, turning my attention back to the pair sitting under the blossoming tree. I was now ducking behind some bushes with Castiel right behind me.

"What are you planning to do-"

"Shh!"

"But you can't even hear any-"

"Shhh!"

We continued watching the two while they sat there. They appeared to only be talking, but the way Kallina was smiling at him made my stomach churn. How did she know him? I had to know...

"Can we go now?" Castiel complained. I looked back at him and narrowed my eyes.

"What?" he asked. "I just don't see the point in standing around and watching people for no reason. I mean, it doesn't seem like anything's going to hap-"

Castiel stopped in the middle of what he was saying and was now staring back at Kallina and the other boy. My head spun around as I wondered what he was looking at, and my eyes grew wide at the sight.

That gardening boy was now holding Kallina in a tight and meaningful embrace..._and she was hugging him back._

I stood there with my jaw clenched. What's going on?!

"Hmm," Castiel pondered. "I guess that would explain it..."

My head spun back around toward him. "Explains what?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" he said, starting to turn and make his way over to the car.

_"They're a couple."_

**Author's Note:**

**Hope you like Jade's appearance in this, since he may be making a couple more! He seems like such a nice character and it's not really fair that you only get a little taste of him in the game. Sorry there were no Leigh moments in this chapter, but don't worry! Some will definitely be coming up! Gotta have your daily dose of Leigh after all, but since there wasn't really a dose of him today...I command thee to go to bed a dream about him tonight! Sweet dreams! :P -Blueberry Blossoms**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Lysander's POV:**

_"A couple?" _ I was surprised at the word. Kallina had never said anything about having a boyfriend. Was Castiel's deduction correct? Were Kallina and that gardening boy really..._in a relationship_...?

Castiel was already in the school's parking lot by the time I snapped out of my shock. He was waving both of his arms over his head trying to get my attention.

"Come on already!" he shouted back at me. "Didn't Leigh say he needed your help today at the store?"

That's true. Leigh did say that, and I knew that if I stayed there any longer that I would be late, and Leigh would get mad. Then again, Leigh's form of anger was usually the silent treatment. I've dealt with that many times before and _could_ deal with it again. Maybe I should stay and wait for Kallina...?

*BEEP*

Castiel was in his car and honking the horn at me. I sighed, knowing that I had to go. I looked back at Kallina and the other boy sitting under the tree one last time before turning and dragging my feet back toward my impatient red-haired friend.

I opened the door on the passenger's side and slumped into the seat. I closed the door, slamming it.

"Hey! Careful!" Castiel practically screamed.

Oh yeah. I had forgotten about how obsessed Castiel could get over his car. If you were sick, you weren't allowed in his car. If you had dirt on your shoes, you weren't allowed in his car. If you had a freakin' ketchup stain on your shirt, you weren't allowed in his car. He would never let anyone eat, drink, smoke, cough, sneeze, or touch anything in this shiny black Saturn...and I wouldn't be surprised if he kicked me out for accidentally slamming the door shut.

"Sorry," I sighed sheepishly.

"Never mind..." Castiel said, perceiving my pessimism. "Let's just get over to Leigh's shop as quickly as possible. You remember how worried he was the last time we showed up late for something." He slightly shivered at the thought. "And THAT is a side of him I never want to see again."

I nodded, remembering how he had practically suffocated us both in tight embraces and rambled on and on about how he had thought something bad had happened to us. Then again, that was years ago when me and Castiel were both about twelve years old. We're seventeen now. I think he'll be okay if we're just a little late.

We pulled into the parking lot beside the shop about ten minutes after we were supposed to have arrived. We would've made it had it not been for all the midday traffic, but I'm sure Leigh will understand...

"WHERE WERE YOU?!"

...Maybe not.

An overreacting Leigh was approaching Castiel's car as we both got out of it. He looked a bit stressed, with worry written all over his face.

"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"

"I know, I know," I tried to calm him. "I'm really sorry, it's just that...well...something came up..."

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Um...well..." I didn't know how to go about this. How was I supposed to tell him that I was spying on my friend and some boy? Wouldn't that sound weird?

"He was spying on Kallina and some boy," Castiel spilled, grinning widely. Did he just read my mind? I looked at him and glared, his grin growing even wider.

"She was...with a boy?"

I turned back and looked at Leigh. He was standing in his thinking pose, with one arm across his chest and the other resting on it with his hand folded beneath his chin. He shifted all of his weight onto his left leg and stared blankly at the ground, his hair catching a light breeze. He seemed unnerved. Was he thinking...of her?

"So," Leigh began, still zoning out. "Who was this boy?"

"We don't know," Castiel answered. "But if I had to guess, I'd say he's her boyfriend." Leigh's eyes widened at the statement.

"Her boyfriend, huh?" I kept staring at Leigh, a puzzled expression plastered to my face. I had never seen him like this before. I didn't understand it. Normally he would just scold me for being late, paying no mind to my excuses, and then forget about the whole matter. So why was he paying this any attention? "What's he like?"

This took me off guard. Leigh was acting strange, and even Castiel was noticing it now. He shot me a confused look before looking back at my brother.

"Well, all I really know is that he's part of some gardening program," I started. "He commutes to Sweet Amoris on various days to help out our school's gardening club. Other than that, I know nothing about him. Not even his name."

"Is that so..." Leigh was still lost in thought. "Did she...seem interested in him?"

Castiel spoke up now.

"Well, we don't know for sure." He seemed uncomfortable with the entire conversation and began to scratch his neck. "I mean, we only saw them hug, so...it's possible that I could've guessed wrong and that they're not even together." He stretched his arms out in front of him and then shoved his hands into his pockets. "Who knows?"

"Hmm." Leigh was still staring at the pavement. I was feeling a little uncomfortable myself now and tried to change the subject.

"Um...Leigh?" He glanced up at me. "What did you need my help with?"

He snapped out of his trance, recalling my purpose for being there in the first place.

"Oh yeah. Please follow me." He started to walk back in the direction of the shop, and I turned back toward Castiel.

"That was weird, huh?" he commented, eyeing Leigh as he disappeared around the corner toward the entrance of his store.

"Yeah," I said. "It really was. I've never seen him act like that before." I scratched my head, remembering the look on Leigh's face.

"Hmm... If I didn't know better..." Castiel began. I leaned forward in a sort of anticipation, wanting to hear what he had to say. "Nah, couldn't be." He started back for his car.

"Hey, what are you talking about?" I asked him. He turned back toward me, his hands still in his pockets.

"Well, it might just be my imagination, but by the way that he's been acting it seems that Leigh might..." He paused for a moment, considering his assumption. I leaned in even closer. "..._He_ _seems as though he might have a crush on Kallina_."

I thought about what he had said for a few moments before shaking my head with a small laugh.

"No way," I stated with confidence. "That's ridiculous. I mean, it's _Leigh_ we're talking about here!"

Castiel just sighed.

"You're right. What am I saying?" He shrugged it off and continued to his car. "See you later, dude."

"See you," I replied with a nod. Then I watched as he carefully placed himself into the driver's seat, started his car, and drove off. I made my way back toward the entrance of the shop, hoping that Leigh wasn't being too impatient and still thinking about what Castiel had said. I approached the large glass door of the shop and pushed it open, Leigh greeting me with a glare.

"Well, it's about time!"

I shook my head again and walked over to him.

**Kallina's POV:**

Jade and I were heading toward the entrance of the garden, having just finished a very long conversation about what we had each been up to since I transferred from our old school. Besides the usual stuff, I was surprised to hear that he had begun volunteering at the animal shelter in the next town over. I had always known that he liked animals, I just couldn't really picture him being able to handle so many of them. Plants seemed to suit him much better.

"Well, I should probably start heading home," I said to him.

"Oh yeah, where did you guys move to?" he asked, picking his spade up off of the ground.

"Just around the corner, actually. You just take a left from here and walk for a little ways."

"Really?" he remarked. "I'm gonna be heading that way myself in a little bit. If you'll wait just a minute I could walk with you. I just have to move this bucket into the green house." We looked at the large white bucket he had placed down when he first entered into the garden.

"Sure," I answered, smiling. "I'll wait."

He quickly grabbed the bucket and effortlessly carried it over to the green house. He drew out a key from a pocket in his overalls and unlocked the door to the large glass room. Within seconds he was walking back toward me, dropping the key back into his pocket.

"Okay, I'm ready," he announced. "Let's go."

We made our way out of the garden and onto the sidewalk. I looked up and noticed that the sun was beginning to go down, shades of purple, yellow, and orange now streaking the sky. How beautiful. It was just a tad bit cool out, too, but I didn't mind very much. The trees continued holding onto their leaves as the wind pushed me and Jade forward.

"Isn't it lovely?" he inquired, gazing up at the trees. Their leaves had changed from a bright green color to shades of yellow and red. It truly was lovely.

"Yeah," I said, studying each and every tree we had passed. "It really is."

We advanced down the sidewalk quietly as we took in the sights of everything around us, breathing it in like a breath of fresh air. After another minute had passed, Jade decided to break the silence.

"You know," he said, tilting his head to look at me. "You told me a lot of things while we were in the garden..."

I turned my head toward him, a questioning stare appearing on it. "Yeah? And?"

He smiled and moved his eyes toward the ground.

"Well, I was just curious, but...do you have a boyfriend?"

"No...? Why would I? You know I'm not that popular with guys," I found myself blurting. I held onto my bag tighter to keep from slapping the palm of my hand onto my forehead in embarrassment of the bluntness of my response.

He lifted his eyes back to my face and smirked. Oh no. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Even if you don't, there's has to be_ someone_ that you're sort of into? Right? Riiiiight?" I felt myself blush at his suggestion and knew that he could see the color emerging on my cheeks. "Aha! I AM right, aren't I?!"

"No! You're not! I don't like anybody!" I practically shouted, turning my face away from his. But he could see right through me and I knew it.

"You're a terrible liar," he said chuckling. "C'mon! Who is it? You know I won't tell anyone."

I knew this was true. Jade was a very trustworthy person, and I had always told him all of my secrets, before my transfer that is.

I sighed. "Well...there is this one guy..."

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Who is it?"

"I don't want to say."

"Aww, c'mon! Please?"

"No!"

He kept persisting.

"Well, will you at least tell me what he's like?"

I considered that and decided that it couldn't hurt to spill just a little bit.

"Well, he's kind of quiet and _really_ mysterious. I don't know all that much about him, but I do know that he's really kind. You can tell he's definitely a gentleman. He's the most handsome guy I've ever met and..." I paused and Jade turned to look at me. "...and he has the most _amazing_ smile I have ever seen."

Jade smirked again.

"Sounds like _someone's_ in love," he said laughing a little. My face turned red again.

We continued walking until we were in front of the clothing shop. Jade stopped in his tracks and faced me.

"Sorry, but this is where we have to part ways." A hint of sadness could be seen in his green eyes.

"Oh, okay," I responded. "Well, I guess I'll see you the next time you come to help out the gardening club, right?"

"Right."

He gave me one last hug before saying goodbye. Then I continued moving down the path as Jade disappeared into the store.

**Lysander's POV:**

I had been helping Leigh sort through the boxes of materials that he used to make clothes for about a half hour now and was beginning to grow bored. I was thinking about all of the things I could've been doing right now had he not required my assistance. I mean, I could be hanging out with Castiel right now and practicing for our next performance, or I could be at home writing our band's next hit, or I could even be sitting with Kallina under a cherry blossom tree, talking about who knows what and enjoying every minute of it.

I couldn't take it. I had to know why she was hanging out with him...why she was _hugging him... _My mind wouldn't allow me to forget about it and was dwelling on it since I had left the school's grounds.

I had just finished sorting the last box in the stack and decided to take a break. I placed the box on the floor and stood against the front counter, leaning down on it, my eyes closed as I pondered a way to confront Kallina about her and her...friend. This was going to be irritating, I just knew it.

Just then I looked up, my eyes wide and heart sinking. Kallina was right outside, standing in front of the shop, the green-haired gardener beside her. My eyes locked on the two as they spoke to one another, and then after another few words, they embraced yet again. Why? Why was this happening to me? I don't get it. Why was I bothered by this? Perhaps it's because I'm also her friend and still have not received a hug from her myself? I don't even know.

My eyes were still glued on them when Leigh walked out of the back room and sauntered up to me, another box in his hands. He stepped behind the counter and placed it in front of me to begin sorting.

"Hey," he said, noticing my expression. "Are you okay?"

When I didn't respond, he followed my stare to the two people clasping to each other out in front of the store. I managed to break away from the sight and glanced over at Leigh. Now _he_ was staring, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Is that him?" he asked, his eyes attached to the pair.

"Yeah," I said, sighing. I didn't want to look at him again. "That's him."

"I see..." he said slowly. "She does seem...a bit interested in that fellow...doesn't she?"

I didn't want to think about it and gave a quick, "Yup." Leigh didn't reply and I looked back up, my eyes filled with horror. _Oh no._

Kallina had begun to walk away and the boy had approached the front door, now pushing it open and entering. He let his eyes wander around before letting them rest on me and my brother.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

I couldn't find any words and it seemed as though Leigh couldn't either. However, he snapped out of it quickly and began to treat the boy as he would any other customer.

"...Hi, how may I help you?"

The boy continued to pass his gaze over the racks of extravagant clothes.

"I'm looking for something to wear to a wedding," he began. "It's gonna be older-themed and I need to find something that'll suit that style. I was told that this shop specializes in that sort of stuff, so here I am!" He seemed energetic and optimistic. My stomach churned again.

Leigh stared at the green-haired boy, without a smile and without contempt. I couldn't read him, but he continued as always.

"Of course," he said mechanically. "Right this way."

The boy followed my brother to a row of men's tuxedoes, all older-looking with cuffs and ruffles. It didn't take long at all. The boy had found the one he wanted, and without trying it on, went to the cash register to purchase the item. Leigh quickly rung him up and handed him the receipt.

"...Have a nice day."

"Hey, thanks! You, too."

He started to walk out the front door when I called out after him.

"Hey!" He turned to face me.

"Yes?"

"Just curious...what's your name?"

He looked back at me with a puzzled expression. "Um...Jade. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," I said nonchalantly. "Just thought I recognized you from somewhere, but I guess I was mistaken."

"Oh," he said. "Well then, I guess I'm off. Bye." Without an answer from either Leigh or I, the boy walked away.

The store was now silent as Leigh and I stared out the door.

"So..." Leigh said softly. "That was him..."

Without another word, he returned to the back, his shoulders slightly lowered.

"Yeah," I sighed. Then I began to sort the box Leigh had left in front of me.

**Author's Note:**

**Woo! Chapter seven's done! How was it? Can you just feel the tension building?! :P Maybe you can't, I don't know, but I still hope you liked it. There will be more to come shortly. Ta ta for now! -Blueberry Blossoms**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Kallina's POV:**

"HURRY UP!" Samantha yelled back at me as she strutted up the sidewalk, her purse held tightly to her body. I glanced down at all of the bags I was carrying and then back up at the impatient girl, her black designer boots thudding on the concrete as she moved away from me and toward the next store. It was Saturday morning and my mother had asked me to do some shopping for her while she awaited my aunt and another load of pointless junk. I had a small list of things to get, but frowned knowing that none of them were in the bags I was being forced to carry.

"Samantha, don't you think it's about time we started looking for the things Mom wanted? I mean, that's the reason we came, right?" Samantha slowed down to a stop and turned to face me, a scowl on her lips.

"ACTUALLY," she corrected me with an attitude. "_You're_ the one who has to find whatever was on that list Mom gave you. NOT me." She turned back and began to head toward her destination again. "_I'm_ going to continue shopping."

I let out an annoyed breath and kept following her. I knew I had to. After all, I couldn't just leave her alone out here... She's not mature enough to handle society on her own.

I trudged along and traced my sister's steps to another perfume shop. The last one had nearly made me lose my breakfast. All of the various scents had been mixed together in the air and smelled positively horrid. I decided to wait outside this time.

Samantha vanished beyond the cute stained glass doors of the shop as I carefully placed all of the bags in my hands onto the ground. I plopped down next to the pile and stretched out my legs. Some people stared as they walked by but I didn't mind. I just sighed and enjoyed the warm sunlight as it fell across my legs from around the corner of the building. I closed my eyes. It felt so good...

A few minutes later, I was awakened from my brief relaxation. Someone had playfully kicked my foot. I squinted up through the sunlight which was now shining on my face and saw a familiar smile. A boy was standing in front of me. He was wearing a pair jeans that were covered in dirt at the bottoms and a brown T-shirt. He had a smudge across his forehead and two gloves sticking out of one of his pockets. I grinned as I looked up into his bright green eyes.

"Hi, Jade!"

"Hey!" He peered down at me, tilting his head. "What're you doing?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, I was just resting my legs while waiting for Samantha," I replied, now getting up. "What about you? What are you doing here? You live in the next town over, don't you?"

He scratched his neck.

"Yeah, I do, but we don't have many stores over there that sell the type of gardening equipment I like."

"I see. So are you heading there now?" I wondered out loud.

He smiled.

"Yeah, do you wanna come? There's a pet shop near there as well, and I know how much you love puppies!"

My eyes lit up at the statement, but just as quickly lowered in disappointment.

"Oh, I really wish I could, but...Samantha...I have to wait for her. I can't leave her here by herself..." Although, I really wish I could.

Just at that moment I detected someone in the distance. At first I thought it was Samantha and wondered how she had gotten so far away without me noticing, but as the figure drew nearer I realized that it wasn't _my_ sister. Oh no.

_Nathaniel's sister._

Jade looked in the direction I was staring.

"Do you know her, Kal-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish what he was saying. I had grabbed his arm and was pulling him around the corner of the building. I just hope she hadn't seen us.

"Um, why are we over here?"

I was peeking around the corner. He leaned close to me and looked over my shoulder at the girl.

"Do you know her?" he repeated.

"Yeah," I said, pressing my hands against the side of the building. "She goes to my school..." I paused before adding, "She's a bully."

"Really?" Jade had always had trouble judging people. I know that that's not a bad thing, but I'm still glad that I had warned him. I mean, what if he ran into her again sometime? _That'd_ be a nightmare!

"Yeah, she's pretty mean," I said, placing a hand on my cheek, remembering our last encounter. "If she sees us I'm sure she'll come over and mouth off random insults, so it's best if we stay hidden."

Of course, right at that moment Samantha had to come out of the shop. I could then feel a panic lodge into my chest. Oh no! What do I do?! If those two meet, who knows what'll happen! I was slightly afraid for my sister and waved an arm around the corner trying to get her attention, but had failed in doing so. Nathaniel's sister was now only a few feet from the store. Samantha turned and the two's eyes met. Oh no.

"SAMANTHA?!"

"AMBER?!"

I looked on in confusion. They knew each other?

Just then they shrieked with girly giggles and ran to each other. They hugged and began to gossip about something, but I couldn't quite hear what. They shrieked again, and my eyes grew wide with horror.

_Oh no._

"I guess...they're friends?" Jade asked, whispering.

"It appears so..."

The girls kept talking and began to walk away. Samantha didn't even look around for me. I guess they _are_ friends... I watched as they disappeared into another shop together. I think I'm going to be sick.

"Well, at least she's not alone anymore."

I turned to Jade. "What?"

"You said you were worried about leaving her alone, right? Well, she's not alone anymore!" His face brightened, and then after another moment mine did the same.

"You're right! Let's go, I wanna see the puppies!" I quickly picked up all of the bags I had put down on the sidewalk and started walking up the next street with Jade.

**Leigh's POV:**

"Hmm...I can't seem to find it."

I've been looking for some black lace in my favorite fabric shop for the past twenty minutes. I ran my eyes over the shelves of fleece and cotton and silk, but could not find any lace. They _always_ had it in stock, but today for some reason they did not.

I sighed with defeat. If it wasn't here, it wasn't here. There was no need to waste more time. I walked outside and started my way down the lane of stores, taking slow steps and gazing around the plaza. I had nothing to do. My clothing shop was closed today and I couldn't make any new clothes without that black lace. I guess I will just have to try and enjoy the day...but how do I do that?

I approached a bench and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back with my arms resting over my lap. I stared at the ground for a while before thinking about Lysander. Maybe he wasn't busy? I should give him a call...

I reached into my pants pocket and retrieved a small black cell phone, and flipping it open, began to dial Lysander's number. I held the phone to my ear and listened as the line rang.

Please pick up, Lysander. Please!

*CLICK* "Hello?"

"Um...hey, Lysander," I said, feeling uncomfortable. I hated speaking to people over the phone.

"Leigh? Is that you? Hah, you sound really different over the phone." I made an attempt to laugh, but felt really awkward in doing so.

"Yeah, it's me...um...I was just wondering, are you busy?"

"Well, Castiel and I are practicing for tomorrow's performance, so yeah..." An awkward silence fell over the line, but I tried to keep the conversation alive.

"Oh, alright...I was just curious. I have nothing to do...but I guess I'll just...try to find something to do..."

"That sounds good Leigh. You really do deserve a break, you know."

I sighed. "Yeah..." There was another silence.

"Well...I have to go. Castiel's waiting for me. Enjoy your day off, Leigh." I could hear an electric guitar in the background.

"Okay...bye."

*CLICK*

Perfect. Even my brother has something to do.

I was becoming restless and got up off of the bench. I put my hands into my pockets and continued to saunter along. I had to find something to occupy my mind with so I began to think about the previous day and all of the things I had gotten done, all of the things I still had to do, all of the clothes I had sold, and all of the people I had sold them to...

I stopped. Now I was remembering... That guy...the green-haired one. Kallina's...boyfriend? They _did_ seem awfully close...

I could feel something inside me sink as I pictured them together, hugging and happy. I shook my head slightly, trying to erase the image from my mind but to no avail. They were overtaking my head, laughing and looking cheerful as they did it. I suddenly felt angry.

I tried to think of something else, anything that would eliminate this unexplained pang of ire. I looked around and my eyes rested on a girl with shoulder-length brown hair. I couldn't see her face, but I found myself staring at her. She reminded me of Kallina...

I lowered my eyes. She was once again invading my mind, but something was different. This time she was _alone_. There was no smiling, green-haired kid beside her. It was only her, and she was smiling. Smiling...at me...

Now the anger that had previously surrounded my being had completely disappeared, and in its place was some new, unfamiliar feeling. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly it was. All I knew was that it was a warm, good feeling...

I lifted my eyes to where the mysterious girl had been standing and found no one there. She had vanished, and that pleasant feeling had gone with her.

I let out a sad breath. I didn't understand it. Why was Kallina always pervading my thoughts? I had only met her a couple of times and yet... I stood there for another moment, thinking about her.

_... I want to see her again._

I was walking again, moving as if in a trance, my mind blinded by thoughts of _her_. I was vaguely aware of everything else around me. I could hear some laughter as I passed a book store. I heard someone say, "This one looks good! Let's get it!" in a video store I passed, too. I could hear many people talking now. "Oh, wow! This is the best ice cream I've ever had!" "I want this CD so badly! They're the best band in the whole world!" "Honey, would you go and buy me a lemonade? Please?" "Oh, look at this one over here! Isn't he cute, Kallina?"

I stopped again. Did I just hear what I think I heard?

I looked around slowly, trying to find the source of my curiosity.

"He sure is, Jade! I just wanna take him home! Here, help me stuff him in my jacket!" I could hear laughing. I looked to my right where there was a pet shop and saw the same smiling face that I had seen in my daydream just a few minutes before. _Found them._

I moved toward the store and hid just outside the entrance, trying to keep out of sight. I leaned my back against the wall and tried to look as casual as I possibly could. I thought about what had propelled me here, about what I was doing... What _was_ I doing? My self-interrogation was cut short by the sound of more laughter.

"Awwww! This one is definitely the cutest!" I glanced around the corner and saw Kallina petting a small black Labrador puppy. It had jumped on her lap and was making her giggle even more. I smiled at the sight, thinking that the puppy certainly was cute, but even it didn't compare to her...

Just then a woman who was working there walked over to Kallina and...Jade? She was grinning at the two with assuming eyes.

"Aww!" she exclaimed as the two continued playing with the pup on the floor.

Kallina looked up at the woman and beamed.

"I know! Isn't he just adorable!" The woman's grin grew.

"Well, who knows? Maybe your boyfriend here will get him for you. An early Christmas present perhaps?" She winked at them. I could hear Jade laugh nervously and saw Kallina turn bright red.

"No, no, I'm sorry but you're mistaken," she laughed with embarrassment. "He's not my boyfriend, just a friend."

Jade confirmed this, and right at that moment I could feel that unusual, pleasant feeling again. I turned away from the scene in the pet shop and leaned my head back against the store. He was just a _friend_. I could feel a smirk spread across my face as I sighed with relief.

Wait a minute. Why was I relieved by this? It's not like her and I are that close...

_...yet._

I began to laugh a little to myself, feeling my own face turn pink.

Really...what's happening to me?

I looked back into the store. The boy was standing up now and looking at a clock on the wall.

"I have to go now, Kallina," he said with regret in his eyes. "I have to go get ready for a wedding tonight."

"Really?" She looked up at him. "Well, okay."

"How about we hang out again sometime this week?" he suggested, and she smiled.

"Sure! I'll see you then." She got up off of the ground and put the puppy back into his pen before hugging her friend goodbye. He quickly sped out of the shop and into the distance. Boy, he was fast.

I decided to go and say hi to the girl now alone in the store. I really wanted to see her again. To talk to her again. To get her to smile at me the same way she had in my mind. I took a deep breath and exhaled, standing up straight. I think I'm ready.

I took another deep breath before turning and getting the wind knocked out of me by someone. I looked down and saw Kallina. She had fallen backward onto the sidewalk and was looking up at me with big wide eyes. I smiled. It reminded me of the first time we had ever spoken to one another, and just like the last time, I offered her my hand.

"Here," I said softly, looking down into her big blue eyes. She looked at it the exact same way she had the first time, except that this time she smiled back at me.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed, taking my hand and allowing me to help her up. Her hand was so soft, so warm...just like the last time.

"What are you doing here?" she asked me, gazing up into my eyes.

I looked at the ground before meeting her eyes and replying, "I was just out doing some shopping." I looked down at my empty hands. "Hah, I just couldn't find what I needed..." Then I looked down and noticed all of the bags she was carrying. "Oh, here, let me help you carry those."

"Oh, no! You really don't have to..." she began, but I wouldn't hear it. I took nearly all of the bags from her and smiled. She nodded in gratitude, and we began to walk along the concrete.

"So," I started, trying to initiate a conversation. "What are you up to now?"

She looked off into the distance and then down at the bags and said, "I don't know. I guess I should just head home. I already stopped to pick up the things my Mom needed when me and my friend Jade were on our way here, so I don't really have anything else to do."

I faintly smiled and glanced over at her.

"Would you like to hang out with me for a while?"

Her head shot up at me with surprise.

"I could show you some interesting places around town..." I was anxious and hoping that she would agree to my offer. I peeked over and saw her beaming brightly at me.

"Sure! That sounds like fun! But first, we should probably head over to my house to drop those off," she said pointing to the bags in my hands.

"Okay," I said, turning pink again. She said yes. _She said yes!_

We slowly made our way to her house as I told her about the amazing places I was going to show her.

I have never smiled so much in my life.

**Author's Note:**

**Bonjour, j'espere que t'aime cette histoire! Haha, I've personally taken a liking to the different point of views and will probably be using them from here on out, especially since they can help clear up points within the story and are just plain interesting! I understand that some people might get a little confused if I compose a chapter with too many POVs in it, so I'll try to limit it to no more than two per chapter, unless of course there is a need for more than two in a given chapter...we'll see. Please review! **

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Kallina's POV:**

"There's no way that really happened, right?!" I questioned Leigh, trying to contain my laughter by putting a hand over my mouth.

"It's true! I swear!" he said, looking down at me with a giant grin. "I was trying to help him into the suit, but he was just a little too big, I guess."

"AND HIS PANTS JUST RIPPED?!"

Now I was doubling over on the sidewalk, and Leigh had to stop and wait for me to finish gasping for air. I guess it was contagious because he had to put a hand over his mouth as well. The sight of him trying to remain composed while laughing made me crack up even harder.

"Yeah," he finally managed to say. "And I think it traumatized me. _Everything_ was exposed!"

I was still laughing, picturing the look on Leigh's face at that time. It must've been priceless! I looked back up at Leigh and he just stared at me with a smile.

"Okay," I said, beginning to breathe normally again. "I think I'm done, so let's go."

We were on my street now and approaching the front door of my house. I reached into my pocket and retrieved the key, but just as I went to put it in the lock, the door opened wide. I looked up and saw my mother standing before me with her head tilted.

"Oh, Kallina, you're back so soon? I hope you've gotten the things I needed," she said, casually. I began to answer, but before I could she locked eyes on Leigh and an unusual smirk appeared on her face. "Oh? Who's this, Kallina?" The knowing look she gave me as she looked back and forth from me to Leigh made me begin to turn pink.

"He's just a friend, Mom. He was just helping me lug home all of these bags." She glanced down at the bags and knew instantly that most of them were Samantha's, but instead of lingering on the thought, she looked Leigh in the eye again, and as if signaled that it was his turn to speak, he cleared his throat.

"Hello, Mrs. Lowe. My name is Leigh." He smiled warmly and my mother's eyes shot open.

"Ooooh," she swooned. "It's very nice to meet you, Leigh!" She looked him up and down, admiring his extravagant apparel, and then let her eyes move back to me. "Kallina! Why haven't you ever mentioned having such a young, handsome friend?! You know you can tell me anything, right?!" She looked almost hurt. "I always thought that you'd tell me right away when you got your first boyfriend..."

"MOM!" I was as red as a rose now, and turned to give Leigh an apologetic look. He seemed amused by the whole thing. I looked back to my mother and said, "I told you, he's just a friend!"

My mother glanced at my expression and let that smirk slide back onto her face. "Well, that's too bad. I think you two would make a really cute couple!"

I slapped a hand to my face and turned away for a moment trying to escape the humiliation. I glanced over at Leigh and saw that his face was also a scarlet red now. He was staring at the ground with a big nervous grin on his face.

"Well," my mother began, looking as though she had accomplished something. "I hope that you're not going to be staying home all night, Kallina. Not when you have such a nice _friend_ here that you could be spending more time with..."

I think I'm going to die.

Embarrassment had already filled in my pale face with a permanent red marker, and now it was flipping my stomach with a king-sized spatula. Why me? _Why me?!_

"Actually, we do have plans this evening, Mrs. Lowe" I looked over at Leigh. He was standing tall and looking anxious. "If that's okay with _you_, of course."

My mother swooned again, and I knew that Leigh's prince-like charm was striking her just as it had me.

"Of _course!_" she replied, yanking the bags from our hands and practically pushing me back out the door. "Have fun, sweetie!" She looked back at Leigh and grinned. "Just be sure to have her back by ten."

Leigh smirked.

"Of course."

With those words, my mother shut the door, leaving Leigh and I standing awkwardly on the front steps.

"Hah, sorry about that," I said, scratching my arm uncomfortably. "She can be like that sometimes." Leigh smiled back at me and suddenly I felt more relaxed.

"That's okay," he answered. "It didn't bother me. I thought she was very nice."

I looked down at my arm, but before I knew what was happening, Leigh had grabbed my wrist and was pulling me back toward the sidewalk.

"Come on. It's five now, so that means I only have five more hours to spend with you." Suddenly he turned away, a streak of pink flashing over his cheeks. "I-I mean, I only have five more hours to show you those cool places that I was talking about earlier. So we have to get moving!"

I stared up at him for a while and then down at my wrist. His hand was still firmly wrapped around it.

Woah. What was that? I had suddenly felt this strange thumping in my chest. Wait a minute...I'm not actually dying of embarrassment from earlier, am I?! No, that's not even possible. What am I even thinking? But if it's not that...then what's this feeling?

I kept gazing at his hand and smiled. Well, whatever this feeling is, it feels good...

"We're almost there," Leigh said as we entered into a public park. It was a big and open area surrounded by a forest. There was a meadow and a swing set and a couple of benches. Not much else.

_This_ was the place Leigh was talking about? I don't get it. What's so spectacular about it?

We kept walking. We passed the benches, and then the swing set, and all the way through the meadow until we had reached the edge of the forest. He let go of my hand and peered down into my confused eyes.

"Um...what exactly was it that you wanted to show me again?" I looked around, but saw nothing but trees ahead of us. "If it's these trees...well, they're lovely..."

He chuckled.

"Close your eyes."

"Um...okay, I guess, but I don't understand how I'll be able to-"

Within a second I could feel my body being lifted up off of the ground.

"Woah!"

"Don't be alarmed. Just keep your eyes closed," he said softly. He was cradling me in his arms, and I could hear the crunching of leaves and twigs as he began to walk forward. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay..." I whispered.

It was only a minute or two before I could hear a faint rushing sound. He walked a little ways more and then set me down on a large boulder. It hadn't taken long at all.

"Okay," I heard him say excitedly. "Open your eyes!"

I sat there for a moment, hesitating, wondering what it was that I would see. We were in the woods after all. What besides trees and squirrels would be in a forest?

I finally opened my eyes and they instantly grew wide.

The sight before me...

I was looking at the most beautiful place I had ever laid eyes on. There were tall canopy-like trees, shielding the area from the enormous sun, but allowing just enough light through to give the place a radiating glow. There were a couple of boulders acting as a border around the perimeter of the area and moss covered every square inch of the ground. It was so green. Not one little bit of dirt could be seen. Then as my eyes ran past the vast sea of green, they locked on a narrow river. The trees didn't seem to be blocking the sunlight from it, and it glittered like a stream of sapphire diamonds. Over it was a small wooden bridge. Leigh was standing on top of it and waving for me to come over. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

"It's..." I was just speechless, and I knew Leigh could tell. He was grinning ear to ear.

"Amazing, right?"

I began to make my way over to the bridge and took Leigh's hand when he offered it to me.

"Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it..." I said in awe, looking over the bridge and down at the crystal-like water. When I felt Leigh's eyes on me I looked up. He was gazing back at me and it seemed as though he wanted to say something, but then decided against it and looked out over the river himself.

"How on earth did you find this place?!" I asked him in amazement. He seemed to zone out as he responded.

"It was a couple of years ago. Lysander and I would always come to this park, and one day we just stumbled upon a path." He sighed happily as he remembered it all. "We decided to go exploring and came upon this place." He looked around with nostalgic eyes. "We both thought it was the most beautiful place we had ever seen, and still come here every once in a while for inspiration. It's a very special place and nobody seems to know about it except for us."

He looked over at me and smiled.

"And you."

*THUMP, THUMP*

There it is again. That weird feeling. I could feel myself begin to blush. Does all this mean...I'm special to Leigh? Is that why he took me here?

*THUMP, THUMP*

"I'm...really glad that you took me here, Leigh," I said softly to him. He peered into my eyes. I knew he could tell what I was thinking because he just beamed.

"I'm glad, too," he said, placing his hand on top of mine. Then a look of realization crossed his face and he took his hands and placed them in his pockets.

"Hah, maybe we should head to the next place," he said quickly, and he began to walk off of the bridge. I followed him as we exited the forest and made our way back into town. This time he didn't take my hand to lead me to our next destination.

We made some small talk as we walked up another road, and then within a few minutes he stopped in front of a small cafe. It was wedged between an empty clothing store and a post office. The sign read _"Soleil d'Octobre."_

"This is it," Leigh stated, turning to me. "This is my favorite place to come and relax."

It looked like a cute little cafe. It _was_ a cute little cafe.

Leigh took up my hand again and led me to the door, opening it for me like a real gentleman. A woman was standing at a counter and looking bored. The place seemed dead. No one else was there. When she saw us she smiled and I could tell that she was glad that a customer had finally shown up.

"Follow me, please," she said cheerfully. She immediately brought us to a cozy section of the restaurant where all of the seating arrangements were meant to sit only two people. Did she think we were a couple, too?

We sat down and thanked the woman who then said that she'd be right back to take our orders. It really was a comfortable place. It looked elegant and peaceful, with yellow walls and white tables. The chairs were black and there were pictures of various flowers hanging on the walls. I felt like I was in Paris.

"So," Leigh started, noticing my wandering eye. "What do you think of the place?"

"Now _this_ is amazing!" I told him, gazing around some more. He chuckled and continued to stare at me silently, his chin resting on his hand on the table.

The woman came back rather quickly and asked us what we wanted. Leigh ordered a cup of green tea and I ordered a cup of French vanilla coffee and a tart that he insisted I try. The woman walked away again and left us there to talk. Leigh began to tell me all about his business and how he handmade all of the clothes at the shop. When he told me that I was utterly shocked.

"You made those?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's one of my only real talents," he told me.

"Well, that's one AMAZING talent, Leigh! I saw those purple shirts on display at your shop and thought that they were made in some foreign country!"

He blushed a little and thanked me for the comment, lowering his eyes in embarrassment.

At that moment the woman came back with our orders. After all, it doesn't take very long to prepare tea and coffee and a little tart. Such a cute little tart.

She walked away again and left us to begin sipping our warm beverages. Mmm. French vanilla...

Leigh watched and could tell I was enjoying it.

"Try the tart," he insisted. "I know you'll love it."

"Okay," I said breaking off a piece of it with my fork and raising it to my lips. As soon as the morsel touched my tongue I was in heaven.

"It's so good!" I practically squealed in delight. I had never tried something so delicious before. Leigh began to laugh, and before I knew it I had broken off another piece and raised my fork to his lips.

"Here! You have to try it!"

He turned red and started laughing kind of nervously, and then I realized what I was doing. It must've been weird to have some girl try to feed you food with her own fork. _Especially _when we weren't even a couple.

"Oh!" I said in embarrassment, beginning to bring the fork back toward my plate. "I'm sorry, hah, I wasn't think-"

Before I could finish saying it, I saw something spark in Leigh's eyes, and he grabbed my hand with both of his and put the fork in his mouth.

I found myself staring at him, my face turning almost as red as his. He then looked up into my eyes with a faint smile, his hands still clasped around mine.

"You're right," he said softly. "It really was good."

I was speechless and remained that way until the waitress came to give us the check. I began to take out my wallet, but Leigh stopped me.

"It's on me today," he said with that faint grin.

All I could do was blush. My words just didn't want to come out.

The woman came back to collect the payment, and thanked us as we headed for the exit. We walked out and started to casually stroll back in the direction of my house.

"Well," I finally managed to say. "That was really nice. Thank you, Leigh. Today was a lot of fun! I never knew about those two places."

He lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Hah, yeah...well, there was another place I wanted to show you, but it doesn't seem like we'll have time tonight." He seemed almost disappointed.

"Well then, I guess we'll have to plan to hang out some other day," I told him. He looked over at me and I flashed him a big smile. It seemed to cheer him up a little.

"Well, it was only my store. You haven't been inside of it yet, right?"

"Oh yeah!" I said, enthusiastically. "I really do wanna see your shop. Isn't it on the way back? We could just stop there. I'm sure my Mom wouldn't mind, anyway. She _encourages _me to stay out past curfew." I laughed.

"Well, alright," he said. "Let's go."

We walked for about ten minutes before we were at his shop. He took out a key and unlocked the door, ushering me inside. I walked up to the counter and let my eyes wander around the store after Leigh turned the lights on. It looked a lot smaller from the outside, but on the inside was a huge wonderland of Victorian apparel.

"Wow," I uttered at the sight. "I don't think I've ever seen so many clothes in my life! And you made them all?!"

Leigh walked up and stood beside me, raising his eyes to each of the shelves.

"Yeah."

We made our way up and down the rows of aisles and Leigh showed me all of the pieces he had created. You could see his eyes sparkling as he held up each piece of fabric. We then headed back to the front of the store. I hadn't been able to find the right words the entire time he was showing me around, but I knew I had to say something. After all, the clothes were just remarkable!

We were standing by the counter again, facing each other, our elbows resting on the edge. He was zoning out again when I gently touched his arm. He instantly looked down into my eyes.

"_Now this is amazing,"_ I told him softly. _"You really do have an amazing talent."_

We stood there staring into each other's eyes for a minute, and I know I definitely saw something spark in his again, just like earlier. Then at that moment, as if on impulse, Leigh wrapped his arms around me.

As he pressed his body against mine I could hear his heartbeat. It was ba-dumping just as fast as mine.

I wrapped my arms around him as well, and could tell he was surprised. He looked down at me with longing eyes and just smiled warmly.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I could feel the heat from his body and it was completely comforting. I loved being held by him like this and wished that the moment wouldn't end. But, of course, right at that moment something interrupted us.

*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*

We looked over at the front door and saw Castiel standing there, staring back at us. Leigh walked over and opened the door, letting me out before turning off the lights and locking the place up. Then he turned to Castiel.

"Um...what are you doing here? I thought you were hanging out with Lysander tonight."

"I did hang out with him earlier, and then he went home," Castiel said bluntly, still staring at the both of us as if we were criminals. "So, what were you two doing in there? I thought you had closed your shop for the day, Leigh," he said, accusingly. He crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

"Kallina wanted to see the shop," Leigh replied with an expressionless face.

"Well, it seemed like you two were getting awfully close in there," Castiel said, almost glaring at Leigh.

I decided that I should say something.

"Really, Castiel, we were just looking at the-"

"Nothing happened," Leigh responded straightforwardly. "Now if you don't mind, I have to bring Kallina home."

He grabbed my wrist again and led me toward his car, leaving Castiel behind to assume whatever he wanted. I looked back at him and saw him now holding a cell phone up to his ear. I wondered who he could be calling right after all of that, but before I could delve into my curiosity, Leigh had opened the door to his Oldsmobile and sat me down in the passenger's seat, closing the door after I had strapped myself in. He hurried to the driver's side and slid into the seat beside me. He put the key into the ignition and within seconds we were cruising down the street toward my house.

I looked over at him and he looked a little upset.

"I'm sorry, Kallina," he said solemnly.

"What's there to be sorry about?" I asked, now turning to face him. He kept his eyes on the road as he drove.

"I guess I just wasn't thinking about it before..." He seemed a little sad. "...but I guess people will start to suspect things if we hang out together too often."

I just looked at him, but then I turned back and looked out the window.

_"Let them suspect."_

Leigh glanced over at me.

"What?"

"Let them suspect whatever they want to. I mean, they could assume things about me and you just as much as they could assume things about me and Lysander, or anyone else for that matter!" I didn't turn to look at him. "What others think about the relationship between two people doesn't matter. Only how those two people feel about each other is what really counts."

I could feel his eyes on me as I continued to stare out the window, but he didn't say anything. The rest of the drive was silent. He pulled up to my house and got out to open my door.

"Thanks," I said. I looked up at my house and saw that my mother had left the light on for me. "I'd better go."

Leigh didn't answer. He just looked at the ground.

I stared at him for a moment before walking up to him and wrapping my arms around his neck. His eyes grew wide at my sudden action and he looked down at me.

"I guess I'll see you later then," I told him. "We should definitely hang out again sometime."

His expressionless face warmed and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I'd like that."

We ended our embrace and I walked up to the front door, letting myself in. I turned back for a moment and saw Leigh. He waved, and then he got in his car and drove off. I entered the living room and sighed as I sat down on another old chair my aunt had brought for my mother.

I really wish tonight didn't have to end. That was such an amazing date...

My eyes suddenly shot up.

Wait a minute. Was that just a...? Was I just on a...date?

**Author's Note:**

**Hola mis amigos! How'd ya like this chapter? It turned out longer than I thought, but I don't think many of you will be complaining. Is the story okay so far? I swear more drama will be coming up, I just have to set the whole stage first...as painstakingly slow it may be...sorry :P Please review! **

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Lysander's POV:**

"Castiel! Slow down! What are you talking about?"

My best friend had just called me, and as soon as I had answered my cell phone, he had begun spewing what sounded like utter nonsense in a rather frantic manner. I couldn't grasp what he was trying to tell me, and was only able to make out a few key words.

"Shop! Leigh! Kallina! Just now!" He seemed breathless.

"Slow down!" I repeated. "I can't understand you." After that there was a short pause over the line and I knew that he was taking the moment to catch his breath and compose himself.

_"I just saw Kallina and Leigh alone in the shop with their arms around each other!"_

Um...wanna run that by me again?

"What are you talking about? Leigh's shop is closed today," I said, hoping that what he had supposedly seen was all in his imagination or that it was just some sort of hoax. "He was taking the day off."

"Well, then why was he there? And with Kallina for that matter? I'm telling you, dude, I was just heading to the store to pick up another pack of cigarettes and I saw the lights on in his shop. I thought it was weird that he'd be there so late and went to check it out, and that's when I saw them together. And they were ALONE! Together! And they couldn't keep their hands off of each other!"

He sounded breathless again, and I still didn't understand. There's no way...right? I mean, even if that were true, I'm sure there's a good reason for it. Maybe she just tripped and he caught her? Maybe? Either way, isn't she with Jade? None of this is making any sense.

"Are you _sure_? Could she have simply fallen into him by accident?"

"There's no way, dude. They were definitely hugging...and _definitely_ into it, man."

I suddenly felt sick.

"But, there's just no way! I mean, she's into Jade, right?" I was completely baffled by all of this.

"Well, like I said before, we don't know that for a fact." He sounded doubtful of the pairing, and then continued on to say, "But it seems more and more like LEIGH has feelings for her."

"I just can't see Leigh-"

I stopped when I heard the front door being unlocked. I looked over and saw Leigh slowly swing it open, dropping his keys onto the table beside him. He looked a little unnerved.

"I have to go," I told Castiel, keeping my eyes on Leigh the whole time.

"Okay, dude, but if I were you, I'd talk to your brother." He sounded almost worried for me, but I didn't understand why. "I'm telling you, he's definitely got eyes for Kallina."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, and then flipped my cell phone shut. I turned to face Leigh.

"So..." I tried to begin. He looked up at me, an unusual nervousness shrouding his entire face.

"Uh...what's up Lysander?" He scratched the back of his head, placing his other hand in his pocket.

"Well, why don't you tell me?" I suggested, staring him blankly in the eyes. "Castiel just called..."

At this Leigh just rolled his eyes. He walked into the kitchen and I followed him with my arms crossed.

"So, I heard you were with Kallina today..." I stared coldly at the back of his head as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. He uncapped it and took a few big gulps before coming up for air.

"So what if I was?" He was wearing that unreadable visage again, and I just continued to stare.

"Well, I guess I just didn't realize how close you two were..." He began to drink some more water. "Just curious, but how close_ are_ you and her?"

Leigh instantly stopped drinking his beverage and pulled the bottle away from his lips, replacing the cap on it tightly. He was now turning a light shade of pink.

"We're just friends," he stated bluntly, looking me straight in the eyes. "And even if we weren't, it's none of your business." He seemed to zone out as he began to remember something, now standing in his thinking pose.

_"'What others think about the relationship between two people doesn't matter. Only how those two people feel about each other is what really counts.'"_

I looked at him, puzzled by his words. "Uh...what?" He looked up at me without any form of expression.

"That's what Kallina had told me just a little while ago." He lowered his eyes to the floor and I could just make out the traces of a faint smile on his lips.

I was about to say something, and I'm sure Leigh had perceived this because he suddenly looked up, beating me with some words of his own.

"Well, I'm really tired. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Without giving me a chance to respond, he quickly walked over to the stairs and ascended them, making his way to his bedroom on the second floor.

I sighed and gazed down at the rug. What was wrong with me? I put a hand on my forehead and closed my eyes. Why was I being so paranoid? Of course nothing was going on between them. I mean, I don't really think Kallina would fall for someone like my brother, anyway. He's a drop out, after all, and hardly ever shows any emotion to anyone. Who would want to be with someone like that? Plus, she's got Jade.

I took my hand off of my head and clenched it into a fist without realizing what I was doing. Thoughts of that minty-haired optimistic plant-loving boy were now occupying my mind. I had to figure it out. What was it about him that made her like him so much? I snickered at what Castiel had told me about seeing her with her arms around Leigh. I don't really think I need to be worrying about that right now. If there's any guy that she couldn't keep her hands off of, it was definitely that gardener...

_Jade..._

In a huff, I headed for my own bedroom along the hallway on the first floor. I was deep in thought as I prepared for sleep, draping myself over my bed and placing my hands behind my head as I stared at the ceiling of my gray-walled room.

I had to figure it out...but before I could, I had fallen asleep.

(THE NEXT DAY):

I was closing my locker and heading over toward the front of the school to meet with Kallina. I could see her standing with her locker door open and shoving handfuls of papers into the narrow spaces between each of her textbooks. It was the end of the day and we were planning on walking home together. With a few more strides I had finally reached her, and waiting until she turned, I smiled.

"Hey," I said. "Ready to head out?"

She stuck a few more papers into her locker and then closed it with one swift movement of her elbow. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, now looking me in the eye with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, let's go!"

We began to talk about the geometry test that was coming up in a couple of days when Castiel came up behind the two of us. He squeezed himself between the two of us and wrapped his arms around our shoulders, grinning mischievously as he eyed us.

"So," he began. "How are you two lovebirds, I mean, _friends_ doing?"

I turned my head in horror and glared at him. I could feel my face turning red, and Castiel's grin grew wider at the sight of it. He laughed and ran ahead of us, bursting through the front doors. I glanced sideways at Kallina, but she hadn't seemed to hear what he had said and looked to still be dwelling on the upcoming test. Thank goodness...

We walked out onto the grass in front of the school and saw Castiel waiting for us, or at least I thought he was waiting for us. However, he wasn't facing us, but was looking at the street where a familiar navy Oldsmobile could be seen parked along the curb.

"Hey," Castiel whispered, now walking over to me. "What's Leigh doing here? I thought you said you were walking home with Kallina?" He stared at Leigh for a moment before turning back for an answer.

"I am," I told him, just as confused as he was. "I don't know what he's doing here."

It was strange. I could've sworn I had told Leigh this morning that I would be walking Kallina home and wouldn't be needing a ride. Had he forgotten? No. Leigh wasn't one to forget things. Then why...?

Then something even more strange happened. The door on the driver's side had been swung open and Leigh was getting out of the car. He shut the door, turning toward us and began to make his way over to where we were.

What's going on? Leigh has been giving me rides home ever since I had started coming to this school and never even _once_ had he ever emerged from that car. Something just wasn't right...

"Uh, hey Leigh," I said awkwardly. "Um...what are you doing here? I thought I told you I wouldn't be needing a ride today...?"

He stared at me as though he were puzzled by my words.

"What do you mean? I always pick you up, and I don't remember you saying anything about not needing a ride." He moved his eyes in Kallina's direction and I could've sworn I saw a faint smile pass over his lips before he looked back at me.

"Well, it was a simple mistake," he began again. "But I don't have anywhere to be right now, anyway. I'm not opening the shop again until later this afternoon." He waltzed over to Kallina and started talking about some restaurant or cafe or something. She seemed interested for some reason and began to laugh and nod her head at whatever he was saying. Now I could see a smile on Leigh's face. _A smile. _I couldn't help but stare.

Then out of the blue, Leigh turned to me and said, "Well, since I'm here I might as well give you a ride home." Then he turned to Kallina. "I can give you a ride as well. What do you say?" She nodded in agreement, beaming up at him, and I could feel my stomach churn yet again.

"Fine," I said with a bold tone. "Just let me go back to my locker to get something."

"Okay," Leigh said just as bluntly as I.

I headed back for the school and into the empty corridor. I walked down the endless hall to my locker and opened it after inserting the combination. I reached inside and pulled out my song notebook, making some room in my bag and placing it there. I had been planning on leaving it in the locker since I thought I would be spending most of the day with Kallina, but apparently things change.

I slammed the locker door shut and stood there silently in the hall. Why was I acting like this? This isn't me. Why do I feel so angry whenever I see her smile at another guy? And this time it's Leigh...

I clenched my fist and punched my locker, but luckily no one was around to see. Or so I thought...

"Hey."

I turned to face the stairwell to my left and saw a pretty girl with silver hair smirking at me with her arms crossed. I rolled my eyes and began to walk toward the front of the building again, but she ran and caught up to me before I could reach the doors.

"Hey! I said 'hey' to you!" she growled at me, grabbing my arm.

I sighed with annoyance. "What do you want, Rosalya?"

She smirked again. "Can't a girl just say hi to a friend...?"

I started for the door again but this time she ran ahead of me and wouldn't let me pass, a seriousness growing across her face.

"Fine," she growled again. "I want to know who that girl out there with Leigh is." She looked me straight in the eyes and I could see a deep burning hatred in hers. Scary.

"She's just a friend of his," I told her, trying to avoid revealing Kallina's name to the insane girl standing before me. "Nothing more."

Rosalya crossed her arms again and frowned with angry eyes.

"I'm not so sure about that," she replied. "They seem awfully close."

I rolled my eyes again. "Don't worry. She's already with that gardener club kid...Jade..."

She looked at me with a strong doubt. "Are you positive about that?"

"Fairly sure."

"But are you one hundred percent sure?" I was glaring at her now.

"What are you implying?" I asked harshly. "That she's into my brother? That's ridiculous! She hardly knows the guy! They know nothing about each other!" I could feel my face now burning with anger, and Rosalya's eyes opened wide. That smirk was plastered to her face.

_"I think they're both into each other."_

*BAM*

I punched my locker again, but not hard enough to dent it or anything. I had had enough. I didn't want to hear any more.

"It's ridiculous!" I yelled at her as I turned, practically stomping my way back to the front of the school. I looked back before pushing the doors open and saw her leaning against my locker, a mischievous smile painted on her face. Then I turned back and walked outside.

"It's ridiculous..."

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, guys. Next chapter, done! I don't have to work tomorrow so I'll try and see if maybe I can get another chapter out early. We'll see. Depends on whatever happens. I mean, I could get hit by a mini car full of clowns, or I could get chased away from my computer by a swarm of angry bees, or I could be abducted by ALIENS! Or I'll just try to get the chapter done. We'll see. :P**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Leigh's POV:**

I watched as Kallina began to laugh at another one of my 'customer experience' stories. I loved the sound of her laugh. She giggled at nearly everything, but I found that I wasn't annoyed like I normally would be. I could tell that her laughter was genuine, unlike all of those other girls who had tried to talk to me in the past. She wasn't like them. She was friendly, generous, caring, and beautiful. She was down to earth and real. I always found myself wanting to be beside her. I've never had a friend like her before. At that moment she looked up at me, her big blue eyes smiling back into mine sweetly, and I sighed peacefully. I knew that everyone had their own flaws, even her, but still she seemed utterly perfect to me.

My cheeks were getting sore from all of the smiling, but I just couldn't help it. I couldn't do anything BUT smile when I was around her. It was the best feeling ever, and I never wanted it to end.

Just at that moment, we heard the metal doors of the school swing open and then quickly slam shut. We turned our heads and saw Lyander approaching us, one hand clenched around the strap of his bag and the other plunged deep into his pants pocket. He showed a little smile, but he couldn't fool me. There was anger in his eyes.

"Uh...ready?" I asked, testing him. He looked as though he were going to explode. He didn't say anything but nodded his head, the fake smile still spread across his lips. Then he started off for the car, Kallina trailing his steps slowly. I wonder if she had noticed something was off with him as well? Maybe.

Then I headed over to the car myself, feeling a death glare burning into the back of my head. I turned my head slightly. Castiel was still standing there. He hadn't moved an inch. His arms were crossed and his stance was sinister. I just kept walking.

Once at the car, I unlocked all of the doors and we all got inside. Lysander got into the back and Kallina occupied the seat beside me. Of course, I didn't mind the arrangement whatsoever. I started up the engine and off we went.

The car ride was awkward and silent. No one had said a word since we left the school's grounds. I glanced sideways at Kallina and she looked uncomfortable, staring down at her hands in her lap. She looked as though she were thinking of something to break the silence with but simply couldn't find the words.

Since she didn't live very far, we were in front of her house within minutes. She grabbed her bag as I pulled up next to the sidewalk and then she turned toward me.

"Thanks, Leigh," she said softly with a small smile, knowing that the air in the car wasn't going to permit any actual cheer in her voice. "It was really nice of you."

I looked into her eyes and put my hand on hers. "Anytime at all."

There was another silence, but this one was different as she and I locked gazes. This one was more peaceful and longing. I knew that I didn't want her to go, and now it seemed as though she didn't want to either. She didn't express it in words, only her smile.

She then opened her mouth as though she were going to say something, but at that moment the passenger side door had been thrown open and she was being pulled out by Lysander. Somehow he had escaped my mind and the backseat altogether and was now walking Kallina to the front door of her home. My eyes narrowed at the back of his head as he took her arm and led her up the steps. He looked like he was saying something to her, but even if I had rolled down the windows they would have been too far away for me to eavesdrop. I was growing more and more curious, but there was nothing I could do.

I continued to stare at them as they stood on the top step together. They seemed to stand there forever and I was becoming antsy. Why were they taking so long? What was he saying to her? Just then Lysander began to grin as Kallina chuckled and smiled at him. That smile. The smile she always gave me. Why was she now giving it to _him_? I could feel my heart begin to sink down into my stomach. That's when I received the next blow. Lysander had reached out and wrapped Kallina in a tight embrace. You could tell that she was surprised, but nevertheless she hugged back, her face tinted with blush. I suddenly felt ill and turned away from the two. I closed my eyes and let my head fall forward onto the steering wheel, and jumped when I had accidentally triggered the horn.

I shot up and looked back over toward the two on the step. They were both looking back at me, Kallina with confusion and Lysander with contempt. Kallina then turned back to him and said something as she unlocked the front door. She finished what she was saying and then disappeared, the door closing behind her. Lysander then turned and began to make his way back toward the car.

Within a few seconds he had taken the seat beside me. He buckled his seatbelt and stared out the windshield blankly at the road ahead of us. I could feel the air in the car become thick again as another awkward silence formed, but that didn't stop me from starting up the engine once again.

As I was driving my thoughts began to wander and I saw it all over again. Kallina and my brother, hugging in broad daylight on her front porch. My mind had taken a picture of it and had hung it up in a big golden frame, right in front of my eyes. It was painful to look at, but I had no choice. Why did my own mind insist on tormenting me like this?

I then thought about my brother. His actions, specifically. _He _had been the one to hug her. _He_ had been the one who had pulled her in close and had enjoyed the warmth she could provide. _He_ did it. She wasn't the one to initiate the affair. But _why_? Why did he do it? He wasn't the sort of person who would do something like that. The more I pondered it, the more nervous and paranoid I became. I had grown more and more curious until I couldn't take it any longer. I swallowed as I tried to find some words.

"I'm surprised," I said aloud at last. "I've never seen you hug a girl before."

Lysander slowly moved his eyes in my direction, resting them on the side of my head as I continued driving.

"So?" he inquired. "She's my friend. We can hug if we want to."

"Really? It seemed as though she was surprised herself by your act." I kept my eyes on the road as I replied.

He turned and was now completely facing me, his eyes narrowed.

"What are you trying to say, Leigh?!" he snapped at me, his face pink with mild anger.

I kept staring ahead. "Nothing really. It's just..."

Lysander glared as he awaited my words. I felt uncomfortable under his watchful eyes and shifted slightly in my seat.

"It's just that you sort of seem...into Kallina a bit... I was just wondering if-"

"No," Lysander said flatly. "She's just a really close friend."

He turned away and looked out the window. His face was now red, but I don't think that anger was the cause. He sighed.

"She has a boyfriend anyway...that gardener kid who visited your shop."

I remembered seeing that boy, and also believed that he was with Kallina, until the other day that is. Then I discovered the truth.

"Oh...is that so..." I didn't know whether or not to tell him. "That's too bad." What would he do if he knew the truth? "So you...don't have any feelings for her?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said softly, still looking out the window.

Hmm...I wonder.

**Lysander's POV:**

We arrived back at our house shortly after dropping off Kallina. The car ride had been rather aggravating. Leigh had suspected me of liking Kallina in the 'more than a friend' sort of way, but that was just crazy. Wasn't it? I can't fall in love with another guy's girlfriend, after all. I knew deep down that that would only lead to heartache. So, I guess I should just ignore all of those emotions from now on. I'm sure I can still be her friend even if she's with...err...Jade. I just have to fight back the strange sensations I get whenever she is near. It'll be easy, right? I certainly hope so...

I walked into the house and dropped my bag onto the couch. I sat down, leaning back and looking at the ceiling, my hands folded in front of me. I thought about everything Leigh had said in the car. I had never seen him so suspicious. Why did he care so much anyway? What did it matter even if I _did_ like Kallina?

Leigh was now walking through the door, having spent another minute parking the car just right. I looked at him as he entered the kitchen, heading for the fridge like he always did.

If he could easily suspect me of having feelings for Kallina, then I had every right to suspect him as well, didn't I? I got up off of the couch and swiftly made my way into the kitchen. Leigh was drinking from a water bottle and had his back to me. I wasn't going to wait for him to finish. Now was my chance.

"Do you like Kallina?" I asked bluntly, placing a hand on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

I watched as Leigh spun around in surprise at the question, the frills on his clothes bouncing. He seemed to have been so shocked that he choked on the water he had been drinking, and had to bend over, coughing up a storm.

"What?!" he exclaimed when he could finally breathe again. "Where did that come from?!"

"Just answer the question, Leigh."

He began to turn red and put one of his hands over his face as though it could conceal his obvious embarrassment. He kept his water bottle in hand and walked past me out into the living room, trying to avoid the question. I wasn't going to let him get away without giving a response and followed him. He started for the stairs but I ran ahead of him and blocked his path. He turned away again, but I quickly placed my hands onto his shoulders and tried to hold him in place. He tried to get away again, but I pushed him down onto the couch and held him there, repeating the question to him.

"DO YOU LIKE KALLINA?"

After finding his efforts fruitless, he sighed and leaned his head back.

"What does it matter?" he asked.

"I just want to know."

"She's just a friend of mine, just like you said."

"But do you have any actual _feelings_ for her?"

He sighed again and looked me directly in the eye, his face unreadable now.

"What is it exactly that you want to know, Lysander?"

I stared back at him for a few moments before answering.

_"Are you in love with Kallina, Leigh?"_

He leaned back even further and closed his eyes. I couldn't tell whether he was thinking or if he was trying to avoid the question again, but the answer came. He opened his eyes and once again looked into mine.

_"Yes."_

He let out a breath and closed his eyes again.

"I think I've always been in love with her...since the moment I first saw her..." He was speaking so softly, I could barely hear him. He opened his eyes yet again and glanced over at me. "What's wrong?"

I hadn't realized it until then, but I guess I had been holding my breath and now my face looked purple. I gasped, taking in as much air as I possibly could, still in shock.

But why was I shocked? I shouldn't be. Wasn't I anticipating the answer when I had asked him?

"Nothing," I responded to him. "So...you're really..._in love_ with her?"

He tilted his head back again and I could see a smile begin to form on his face.

"Yeah. I'm really in love with her."

"But she has a boyfriend!"

Once I said this, Leigh started to drink from his water bottle and avoided eye contact with me. Wasn't he listening to me? There was _no way_ he could ever be with her!

But then he stopped drinking and faced me.

"It doesn't matter if she has a boyfriend or not..."

I was completely baffled by all of this and just sat there, staring and in a daze.

_"I'm going to try to make her fall for me."_

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry this chapter is a day late...but nevertheless I hope you liked it. This is where the drama is really going to begin, so be prepared for some crazy stuff, whether it be sad or happy, funny or awkward, you just never know. Please review, and I'll write again later! :P**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Kallina's POV:**

Everything was floating. It was all so surreal. I don't know how it even turned out like this. I couldn't believe it, but it was happening.

Leigh and I were in his shop. Alone. It was just like the last time, except _better_. It was late and he had closed his store and shut off the lights to be sure no unwanted visitors would come by. He was sitting beside me on the floor behind the front counter. If anyone did come by there's no way that they could see us through the front door while we were there. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close, and I rested my head on his chest. He was blushing but didn't loosen his grip on me. It was perfect. I smiled up at him, and it appeared as though he was trying to say something.

"Um..." he began, swallowing. He looked a little nervous.

"What is it?" I asked, now concerned. I lifted my head off of his chest, but he just pulled me back and held me tighter, wrapping his other arm around me. He didn't look down at me, but instead closed his eyes.

"I...want to...tell you something." He spoke softly, and I was lingering on every word, anxious to hear what he had to say.

"You can tell me anything, Leigh," I told him, my words even softer than his. He opened his eyes and peered down into mine. He was wearing a faint smile, but he still looked incredibly nervous about something. Then at that moment he sat up straight and I was forced to adjust myself as well. He had my hands in his and was facing me now, his head down to hide his reddening face.

"Kallina..." I looked at him, but he refused to meet my eyes. It was adorable how shy he could be. "I...I really...like..." He kept pausing, trying to find the right words.

I couldn't take it anymore. I moved my hands up and gently placed them on his face, lifting his head up. He looked me in the eyes, and I could see a little shock in them. The expression quickly faded, however, and his eyes melted as he stared back into mine. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in as close as he possibly could, my arms now pinned between our chests.

"I...love..."

He never finished what he was saying. I looked up at him again as he slid one hand down to my lower back. It caught me by surprise and I could feel myself begin to blush. He then used his other hand to lift my chin up toward his face, and I could see him smirk at the color on my cheeks, which only made me blush even more. Then he closed his eyes, moving his face toward mine. I could feel a million butterflies beginning to take flight in my stomach right at that moment. It felt amazing.

I closed my eyes and leaned in...

"KALLINA!"

I opened my eyes at the sound of my name being shouted. I yawned and looked around, squinting in the bright sunlight. I was lying on my front lawn and Jade was sitting beside me, his arms crossed.

"Were you even listening to my story?!" he asked, a little pout forming on his face.

I propped myself up on my elbows and looked over at him apologetically.

"Sorry."

He sighed. "Well, it wasn't very important anyway."

I kept glancing around, trying to remember how I had gotten there.

Oh yeah. I remember. I had met up with Jade after school and went to the gardening club with him. It was kind of fun, too. Then once that was over, he had walked me home. We had decided to just chill on the lawn and hang out. I guess I had fallen asleep, though. Either that or I just had the most amazing daydream ever!

I started to zone out, recalling everything that had occurred in the dream. I was staring blankly at the ground and touching my lips gently with my fingers as I remembered what had almost happened. I guess Jade had noticed and he began to smirk.

"So, where was your mind while I was back here on earth?" he asked, jokingly. I began to blush, still staring at the ground.

"Nowhere," I said casually, trying to brush it off, but Jade knew me too well.

"You sure about that, Miss Scarlet-Face?" He was laughing now. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were thinking about a _certain someone_..."

He raised his eyebrows in a knowing manner and I turned away from him.

"_Please,"_ I said, rolling my eyes. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

He nudged my shoulder and laughed again.

"Oh? So you already forget Mr. Mysterious-and-Handsome?"

My face was bright red now.

"Come on! Come on! You can tell me!"

I knew he would keep insisting and gave in.

"Fine," I said, sighing. "I was...thinking about him..."

"I knew it!" Jade was smiling ear to ear and I just shook my head, snickering at his enthusiasm. He was such a strange guy. I looked at him again and now he appeared to be lost in thought, but it only lasted for a moment. He began to speak again.

"You know, I still haven't seen this guy..." he started, and I knew exactly where he was going with it. "...and I kind of want to. I mean, doesn't your best friend deserve to meet the guy his best friend's in love with?!"

"Hey, I never said I was in love with him!" I said, punching him playfully in the arm. "Don't go around assuming things."

He just shot me a sideways smirk and continued on. "Well, I still wanna see him! Please! Please! Can we go see him? Please! I'm sure _you_ want to see him, too!"

I fell back onto the grass again and stared up at the sky, thinking. I knew I wanted to see him again, but wouldn't it be weird if I just showed up out of the blue? I wouldn't want to make him feel awkward. But then again, he's just at the shop. I mean, I could look around at the clothes or something. Then he wouldn't think I was just there to see him.

I had made up my mind and sat up again. I _really_ wanted to see him again.

"Fine," I told Jade, who now looked even more excited. "Let's go."

I stood up and Jade followed suit, and without another word we began to head for the shop.

It took about ten minutes to get there, but I wasn't complaining. It had given me time to think of something to say to Leigh when I saw him. I considered saying "hi" or maybe even "hello" but neither seemed good enough.

We were walking through the front door and I could see him standing behind the front counter, his back facing us. He was talking to somebody, and as we moved further into the room I could see that it was Lysander. He was standing across from Leigh, facing us, and had spotted us as we made our way over to the counter. He began to stare at us and Leigh, noticing his expression, stopped in the middle of what he was saying and turned to look in our direction.

"Hey."

Well, it was better than "hi" right?

"Hey," they both replied in unison, staring at me and Jade. Then Leigh turned around completely to face us. He smiled. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just decided to stop by." I looked over at Jade and he looked as though he were about to burst out laughing. I shot him a quick glare, but he ignored it, continuing to look back and forth from me to "Mr. Mysterious-and-Handsome."

"So, this is him, huh?" jade whispered into my ear. I began to turn red again as he nudged my shoulder. "Why don't you ask him out or something?"

I was about to shoot him another look but he had escaped too quickly, now looking through some of the racks of clothes along the right wall. I held my breath and looked back toward Leigh. He was leaning on the counter and staring at me, a little smirk growing on his lips.

"So, you just came to stop by, huh?" His eyes were locked on mine. It felt as though he were reading my soul, but I really hoped that wasn't true. If it was then that means he would know the real reason I was there... Would that explain the smirk? Does he know?!

I gulped as I nodded my head, trying, unsuccessfully, to break eye contact with him.

"I see," he replied. "Well, I'm actually glad you stopped by. There was something I wanted to ask you..."

His eyes then left mine and wandered off to the side. He shifted on his legs and turned away, and for a moment I could've sworn that I had seen a shade of pink flash across his face. Lysander, who had been keeping an eye on Jade the whole time, was now watching Leigh. He had a strange look on his face but I couldn't interpret it.

At that moment Jade returned by my side. He was grinning, but as he came to notice the unusual atmosphere about us, his grin began to fade.

"Um..." he said uncomfortably to me. "Well, I should really get out of here. I need to be home in a half hour, so I should probably go."

"Oh, alright," I said, turning toward him. "I'll see you later."

"Right," he responded. Then he turned back toward the guys. "It was nice to meet you both again." He gave them both a light smile and then walked to the door. However, right before he left he turned back toward us. He was staring at Leigh.

"Take care of her."

With those words and a mischievous smirk he opened the front door and went on his way. I was a little dazed and turned back to the guys. Lysander was staring, wide-eyed at the door, and Leigh was now turning a bright red color.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He looked away again.

"Nothing!" he answered quickly, trying not to make eye contact with me.

"Okay...so what was it that you wanted to ask me, Leigh?" I walked up even closer to the counter. My act seemed to catch him off guard and he took a step back before recomposing himself and putting a hand on the counter to steady himself.

"Oh, um, yeah..." He began to rub his arm with his other hand as he structured the words in his head. "I was, uh, just wondering if...um...maybe you'd like to, um..."

I could tell he was nervous. Color rose to his cheeks again and he lowered his head, appearing almost defeated by his verbal paralysis. He began to shake his head in frustration at himself, and I swiftly placed a hand on top of his. He raised his eyes to meet mine and I smiled at him. He put his other hand on top of mine and after a few deep breaths, he spoke.

"I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to...hang out with me again sometime?" I let out a breath and kept smiling.

"Um..." I began, and then remembering that Lysander was in the room with us, I lowered my voice to a whisper, leaning in closer. "What do you mean when you say 'hang out'? Do you mean like how me and Lysander would hang out?"

Leigh sighed sadly and lowered his eyes to the counter as though he had been misunderstood. I took another breath, catching the hint, and continued.

"Or do you mean..."

I paused and Leigh slowly raised his eyes again. His hands were still covering mine, and tightened as he waited for me to finish what I was saying. I gazed into his eyes and they were imploring me to continue.

_"...a date?"_

He held his breath and, keeping his eyes on our clasped hands, slowly began to nod. My eyes grew as I finally came to understand what he was asking.

_He wants to go on a date with me._

*Thump, Thump*

I blushed and looked down at our hands as well. My mind was racing, or was it my heart? Perhaps it was both. This feeling... I've felt it before, but at this moment it seemed to be one hundred times more powerful. I found myself filled with joy at his request. It was like a dream.

I realized I had not given him a response yet, and snapped out of my daze. He was peering down into my eyes, obviously waiting for an answer, and my impatient heart instantly formed the words.

"I would love to go on a date with you, Leigh," I said to him warmly. Replaying the words in my head, I breathed and gave him a modest smile.

At that moment I could see all of the nerves in his body disappear. He relaxed his shoulders and sighed a breath of relief, laughing softly. Still clutching my hands, he raised them to his lips, closing his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? Are Leigh and I going to go on a date?!

I know the time we spent together on that other day could've been called a date as well, but the word had never actually been mentioned before. We had a lot of fun, though. Eeeep! Now I'm getting all excited! I wonder what we'll do, I wonder where we'll go, I wonder-

*SLAM*

I turned my head and looked out the door just in time to see Lysander speeding down the sidewalk. I don't know why, but I had the feeling that he was angry.

"What's up with him?" I asked his brother with a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, he gets like that sometimes...but I'm sure you've seen this side of him at school before, right?" I kept staring out the door.

There's another side of Lysander? This was news to me. I had always seen the sweet and sophisticated Lysander. His other side can't be that different...right?

**Lysander's POV:**

I couldn't help it. Just seeing them together was aggravating me. I had to get out of there. If I had stayed...

I just couldn't believe it. He really did ask her out. _And she said yes..._

But I thought that she had a boyfriend this entire time! That guy, Jade. He's not her boyfriend?!

I clenched my fists and kept storming down the sidewalk toward the park. It took me only five minutes to get there since my pace was so fast, but once I reached the edge of the meadow I slowed and began to walk. I entered the wide open space, dragging my feet through the grass. I noticed that it hadn't been mowed in a while, but continued making my way through it until I had reached the swing set. I walked up to the swing closest to me and sat down on it heavily, now clenching my fists around the rusting metal chains.

I don't get it. I just found out that she doesn't have a boyfriend...

_So why am I still upset?_

Just because my brother asked her out...? Even if she did say yes, there's no way that they'll actually start dating, right? It'll only be a one time thing, right?

It was all driving me crazy! The more I thought about it, the more confused and depressed I felt. What's going on? Why do I feel this way? Why?! I was so lost in thought that I didn't even hear the footsteps of someone approaching until they stopped somewhere behind me. I could feel their eyes on me but refused to turn around and face them.

"Why so blue?"

I sighed and shook my head. This was one of the last people I wanted to talk to right now.

"Go away, Rosalya."

She made her way around the swing set and stood in front of me, pouting. She put a hand on her hip and stared me down with a glare.

"Hey, I was just curious!" she shouted at me before calming herself. She kept staring at me as I remained silent. She sighed and walked up to the swing set, taking the seat beside me. She stayed quiet for about a minute before turning to me.

"So," she said softly. "Are you gonna tell me what's got you so down?"

I lifted my head and glanced over at her. She raised her eyebrows and waited for a response. I knew that she wouldn't leave me alone until I gave her one and decided to just tell her the truth. After all, she'd be able to tell if I were lying.

"You were right." I shook my head again, lowering it so that my gaze would rest on the ground in front of me. Rosalya stared at me and waited for me to continue. "My brother...is in love with Kallina..." I sighed sadly again. "...and I'm fairly certain that she's in love with him, too."

There was a brief silence as we sat there pondering what I had just said. Then Rosalya spoke up, almost inaudibly.

"Hmm...so her name's Kallina, huh?" She raised a hand to her chin. "I'll have to remember that."

"I just don't get it. I mean, I can understand why Leigh's into _her_, but why on earth is she into _him_?"

I could feel my spirit deflating with every word I said. Just thinking of them together was like taking a sledge hammer to my soul. Every word hit me with more realization than a thousand lightning bolts could spark. I was filled with more and more despair. Pitiful despair. But what could I do? Nothing. I could do nothing.

"Well," Rosalya started after another moment. "You should know what you have to do then."

I looked over at her and she was smirking.

"What are you talking about?"

She snickered. "Isn't it obvious? All you have to do is _make her fall in love with you_."

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, feeling my face begin to grow warm. "I never said that I was in love with her!"

Rosalya just eyed me with a chuckle.

"Really, Lysander? Who are you trying to fool? It's been obvious since day one that you were head over heels for that girl!"

I could feel my face turning pink. Was I really in love with Kallina? The more I dwelled on the idea the more apparent it became. The strange feelings I always got whenever she was around. The way I always acted whenever we were together. The way my heart would always pound away in my chest whenever she was near...

_I think I really am in love with her._

I glanced over at Rosalya again and said, "So...say I am actually in love with Kallina... How could I make her forget about Leigh and fall for me?"

The silver-haired girl smirked again and stood up.

"That's for you to figure out for yourself."

She began to walk toward the edge of the park, but after getting only a few feet away she turned back toward me, making one last comment.

"Don't worry, Lysander," she said confidently. "I have my own methods for splitting those two up..."

I saw a mischievous smile cross her face, but before I had the chance to interrogate her she had turned away and left. I was left sitting on the swing, thinking of what she had said. I ended up staying there for a good ten minutes, just reflecting on our conversation, and before long I could feel my own mischievous smirk begin to grow on my face.

"Make her fall for me, huh?"

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys. I'm sorry that's it's taken me longer than usual to get this chapter out. I've had a VERY busy week. SO. MUCH. HOMEWORK! I was so exhausted! Hah, I really didn't have much time at all to get it done, but alas, here it is! Hopefully I won't have much homework this next week. I should be able to get more chapters out on time, hopefully :P But nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this one! **

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Kallina's POV:**

I ran a brush through my hair as I tried to imagine the things that Leigh had planned for that afternoon. He had told me that it would be a chance for the two of us to get to know each other even better, and I was certainly looking forward to it. I was sure that it wouldn't be anything too extravagant, but was getting even more excited just knowing that I was going on an actual _date_ with him. I sighed, dreaming of our next adventure. My heart felt like it was going to pound right through my chest.

I was almost ready to head over to his shop, putting the final touches on my makeup. Leigh had told me not to wear anything too fancy, fearing that my clothes might become dirty, which was making me even more curious as to what he had planned. Nevertheless, I had dressed myself in a pair of plain blue jeans and a cute white blouse that had a black bow on each shoulder. I thought it would be just fine and finished my outfit with a deep red sweatshirt and my black converse sneakers.

I had walked over to the mirror and let my eyes fall over my own appearance. I decided that I had liked the look. It was cute, but not too cute, just cute enough. I smiled as I began to think that I looked like some weird princess. A _very_ edgy princess. A princess who was off to meet her amazing prince charming, the most handsome guy in all of the land. A prince who was going to take me on a date.

I felt like I needed to pinch myself to see if I were dreaming, but decided not to. I was content with this surreal situation, whether it be real or not.

I grabbed my cell phone which had been placed on my bed and shoved it into my pocket, still looking into the mirror. I made sure that my hair and makeup were okay again and decided that I was finally ready to head out. I opened the door to my room and walked out into the hallway. I moved over to the staircase and had already taken a step down when I heard the voices. I stopped and listened, knowing exactly who they belonged to.

"So that loser asked me out again. I can't believe he _actually_ thinks that I would EVER consider going out with him. I mean, really! He's absolutely hideous!"

"You've got that right! I think he'd actually look _better_ if someone would smash his face in!"

I heard the evil laughter as it drifted up the stairwell and it sent shivers down my spine. I stood still as I contemplated what to do. I couldn't go downstairs after all. They'd see me! I could only imagine the things those demons would say if they caught sight of me. No, I'd have to do something else, but what?

"Hey, Amber, let's go up to my room. I've been wanting to show you my newest designer shoes." I heard an exclamation of agreement and then the footsteps heading over toward the stairs.

Oh no! They're coming!

I felt a sense of urgency as I looked around for a place to hide. I opened the nearest door and quickly dashed inside of the small room. It was a coat closet, and I couldn't help but feel relieved. It was the perfect place to conceal my presence.

I listened with my ear against the door as the girls strut past me down the hallway toward Samantha's room. I heard a door slam and decided that it was safe to go out. I slowly pushed the door open and peeked around the edge of it to see if the girls were really gone. They were, and I began to make my way back over to the stairs. Now was my chance to get out of there before they came back out.

I was at the stairs now and had begun to tiptoe down the steps. It was quiet in the house. Too quiet. I felt as though any noise I made would set off an alarm of some sort, or a booby trap of some kind, but I hoped that I was just being paranoid.

I was almost at the bottom of the steps when I heard the door open again. I heard the giggles... Those demonic giggles... They were growing louder...

At that moment, keeping silent meant nothing to me. I jumped down to the landing and burst out the front door, leaving it wide open behind me as I ran like a crazy person down the sidewalk in the direction of Leigh's store.

As my house grew farther and farther away in the distance I began to slow my pace to a jog and then to my normal walking stride. I was panting and trying to catch my breath as I continued on my way. I was still clutching my chest when I reached the shop.

Leigh had been waiting out front, leaning against the wall of the building. He looked over when he heard the footsteps and stood up straight when he realized that it was me. I was still breathing abnormally.

"Hey, Kallina," he said with a hint of confusion in his voice. "Is something wrong? Why do you sound like you just ran a marathon?"

I wanted to laugh but my lungs wouldn't allow it. They sucked in great amounts of fresh air, trying to make me breathe normally again. I took another few moments just inhaling. In and out, in and out, in and out...

"Phew," I finally sighed. "Sorry about that. I had just escaped from two horrible monsters!" I began to laugh. "Two horrible _blonde_ monsters."

Leigh chuckled a little as he began to catch my drift. After all, he _had_ met my sister before, and I'm sure he could still remember just how "lovely" a person she was.

"Well, I'm glad you were able to get away without much difficulty." He grinned. "I would've been awful lonely if you hadn't been able to show up."

I smirked at his comment and looked down at the ground in a little embarrassment. I guess I was just a little nervous. My eyes remained locked on the ground and my gaze met some sort of basket sitting at Leigh's feet. Puzzled, I pointed at it.

"What's that?" He glanced down.

"Oh, yeah!" He bent down and picked up a basket about the size of a small microwave oven, holding the handle firmly. "I was thinking that maybe we could have a picnic back at our secret spot in the woods. I know how much you liked it...so I just thought maybe..."

"That sounds perfect!" I chirped happily. I was feeling so excited and could hardly contain it, now hopping up and down. "Let's go!"

Leigh smiled and we began to retrace the steps of our previous trip to the beautiful forest site. We talked while we walked and got to know about each other's family. Leigh and Lysander lived with their parents, but they weren't around very often. I thought about it and figured that that was the reason both boys seemed more introverted than outgoing. It made sense and I almost felt bad, but they both seemed happy nonetheless. To me, that was all that mattered.

We were now heading into the woods and within a couple of minutes we had reached our destination. Leigh placed the basket on the ground and opened it, removing a thin blue sheet and spreading it out on the mossy earth. He then knelt down onto it and motioned for me to do the same. I plopped down beside him and could've sworn I had seen him smirk out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked over at him the smirk wasn't there. It had been replaced by an unreadable expression as Leigh began to unpack the basket.

My eyes grew in amazement as Leigh took out dish after dish after dish. Who knew so many things could be packed into such a little space?! It was incredible! There were turkey sandwiches, potato salad, pasta salad, tortilla chips and salsa, cans of soda and bottles of water, brownies, and a bag full of fortune cookies. I laughed when I saw it all and Leigh just snickered.

"I wasn't sure what to bring," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "So I just brought it all."

"Well, this is some feast, Leigh!" I told him, still laughing. "We could probably feed a small army with all of this!"

"Hah, yeah. Well, I hope you like it at least. I made all of it myself."

"Whoa! Seriously? You can cook?!" I stared at him with my mouth wide open. He squinted his eyes at me with another smirk.

"What? I don't seem like someone who knows how to work a stove?" He tilted his head, still squinting, and crossed his arms, waiting for my response.

"Nope."

He was able to remain composed for about a good two seconds before he burst into laughter, practically falling over onto his side.

"Well, that was certainly direct!" I smiled and after another minute he was composed again. "Haha, sorry about that." He looked down at the food and grabbed some plates and forks, handing me one of each. "Here. Let's dig in. I can't wait for you to try it!"

I opened the container of potato salad and began to scoop some of it onto my plate.

"I'm not gonna die if I eat this stuff, right?" I asked jokingly. He squinted at me again.

"Only if you choke on all of the hard work and love I put into it," he remarked in the same tone I had used. I giggled and shoved a fork full of potato salad into my mouth. I noticed Leigh as he watched me take the first bite and by the look on his face I could tell he was pleased.

"How is it?" he asked.

I didn't even want to answer, and shoveled more potato salad into my mouth.

"Do you even have to ask?!" I managed between bites. "It's _delicious_!"

He smiled again and began to fill his own plate. Then conversation slowed and we sat there silently for a little while as we ate. I was so absorbed in the food that I hadn't noticed when Leigh had offered me a fortune cookie.

"Where on earth do you get a bag full of fortune cookies?" I questioned him, taking one. "Did you rob a Chinese restaurant? You did, didn't you? C'mon, you can tell me the truth!" I nudged his arm playfully as I removed the cookie from its wrapper.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Leigh replied, nodding his head. "I do it every Wednesday." He snickered as I cracked my cookie into two pieces, removing the tiny paper strip from the middle. "So what does it say?"

I looked down and read it once before saying it out loud.

_"Happiness may be closer than you think. Keep your eyes open."_

"Hmm," Leigh said in contemplation. "Very interesting."

"What about yours, Leigh? What's it say?"

He broke his cookie as well and snatched up the piece of paper. He ran his eyes over it quickly and began to read.

_"Beware. Rivalry leads to broken hearts."_

He stared down at the paper and seemed to be thinking about it, rubbing his chin.

"Interesting..." His eyes moved over the words blankly.

"I wonder what it means..." I said, leaning over to get a better look. Leigh then crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the basket.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he answered confidently. "They're just meaningless words on a piece of paper."

"I see," I said, crumpling up my own fortune and throwing it into the basket as well. "That's sad." Leigh had noticed the frown on my face as the words left my lips and just stared at me. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied smoothly. He appeared to be thinking again, and then I saw his eyes light up. "Hey! I just remembered something!"

"What?" I asked. He looked really excited for some reason.

"There's a screening going on tonight on the edge of town. I saw the flyer for it this morning on a telephone pole. I've actually heard some other people talking about it in my shop, too, and was wondering if you wanted to go...with me, I mean. It's supposed to be a comedy..." He looked at me with a hopeful gaze, waiting for an answer. I smiled.

"Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun! I love movies! _Especially_ comedies." Leigh grinned at me as he started packing everything up again.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," he said.

In just a few minutes all of the dishes had been stashed back in the basket, and we both got up off of the sheet. Leigh picked it up and folded it quickly. You could tell he had a way with fabrics. He placed it on top of everything else and closed the top of the basket, picking it up with one swift motion of his arm.

"Well, that was fun," he said happily. I nodded my head in agreement as we made our way back out of the woods.

We were at the sidewalk and heading in the direction of Leigh's shop now. We got there soon after and said our goodbyes, having to part ways. Leigh had told me that he would pick me up at eight that evening and to dress warm since the event would be taking place outdoors. I waved back to him once more before I continued walking.

His store was out of sight now and I sighed another satisfied breath. I loved being with Leigh, and when I say "loved" I mean _"loved." _Every time I was with him was like a dream. He made everything feel like so much fun! It was only getting better and better, and now I was heading home to get ready to see him again tonight. EEEEEP! I'm already getting giddy! I can't wait! I wonder if Leigh feels the same...

**Leigh's POV:**

(THAT EVENING):

Oh, man. Why am I so nervous? I had just seen her a few hours ago!

It was seven-thirty and I was racing around the house looking for my jacket. I found it draped over a chair in the kitchen and snatched it up quickly, sliding my arms through the sleeves. I felt as though I were going to be late, but when I looked down at my watch I discovered that I still had some time. I stood there with my hands latched onto the back of the chair and tried to relax.

I was getting excited all over again and began to tap my foot anxiously. Even though I had just had a date with her I was already craving another one. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Just being away from her was driving me crazy! This is what that girl was capable of. Driving me crazy. I wonder if she feels the same...

Before I became too deep in thought I heard a door open down the hall. I walked out into the living room and sat down on the couch just as Lysander strolled into the room. He stopped when he saw me.

"Hey," he said nonchalantly. He inched over toward the wall and leaned against it with his arms crossed, never breaking eye contact with me.

"Hey," I replied, crossing my legs and sitting tall. "What's up?"

He didn't answer right away, but after a moment responded, "Nothing much. What about you? You look as though you're ready to go somewhere."

I looked at my watch again. Seven-forty. I stood up and grabbed my car keys from the table beside the couch.

"Yeah, I'm going to a movie screening tonight with Kallina," I said, fixing the collar of my jacket.

Lysander remained still and I could feel the air thickening around us just as it had the last time we had spoken about Kallina.

"Well," he began slowly, an unusual tone in his voice. "It seems as though you two have really hit it off." I glanced over and met his intense stare. If looks could kill...

"Uh...yeah, I suppose so," I said, unsure of how Lysander would react to the words. He had been acting really strange lately.

"Well," he said quickly, his arms still crossed tightly across his chest. "Congratulations."

I moved toward the door slowly.

"Thanks..."

I opened the door but before I had the chance to leave Lysander stopped me.

"Hey," he said again. I turned my head back to him. "Where's that screening again?"

"Um...on the edge of town, right next to the dollar shop..." He gave me a cold emotionless stare. "Why?"

"No reason," he started. "I was just thinking that I might head over there myself later." For a moment I could've sworn I saw mischief in his eyes, and then he finished with a smirk. "Maybe I'll see you there."

I stood there for a moment, but then without another word I walked out, shutting the door behind me. I could still feel my brother's eyes piercing me through the wood of the door, but tried to ignore them, walking over to my car. The only one I had on my mind now was Kallina.

I arrived at her house within a couple of minutes and found that I was early. It was seven-fifty. I waited patiently. She told me that she would meet me at my car, so I just sat there.

I didn't have to wait long, however. I heard someone shouting and looked over. The front door was open and Kallina was walking out, her mother watching from the window. The yelling continued in the house as Kallina approached. I got out quickly and walked her to the passenger's side, opening the door for her. She smiled and thanked me, and once she was inside I closed the door for her. I made my way back to the driver's side and looked back up at her mother. She was smiling. I waved at her politely and then took my place back behind the wheel.

"What's with all the yelling?" I asked her, fastening my seatbelt. She rolled her eyes and snickered.

"Oh, that's just Samantha. When she found out that I was going out tonight, she wanted to come." Kallina leaned back against the seat and sighed. "There's no way I was going to let _that _happen." She turned her head toward me and laughed. "Trust me, it would've been a nightmare for the both of us!"

I smiled at her and started up the engine. We pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. I took some turns and found the road I was looking for down a ways on the right. It was long and curved around a large pond. It was a peaceful ride. There were no cars on the road except for my own.

"Wow!" Kallina exclaimed in amazement. "Look at that sunset!"

The orange sun was descending over the tops of trees in the distance. It reflected down over the pond and shone brilliantly, mixing with the red and pink hues of the sky. It really was beautiful.

"It sure is something," I said. We remained comfortably quiet for the rest of the trip, me keeping my eyes concentrated on the winding road before me and her keeping her eyes focused upward at the sky. We were there within fifteen minutes, and I parked my car along side a row of others. By this time the sun had completely disappeared and the moon was rising.

"Let's find some empty seats," I told her as we walked into the screening area. She nodded and I took her hand, leading her over to the side.

There were about five hundred chairs arranged in straight rows in front of a giant projection screen. There were a lot of people there already, but we were able to find a pair of seats along the far end of a row in the middle. She took the inner of the two and I sat beside her in the very last seat.

"Look at all of the people!" she said with wide eyes. "Who knew so many people lived in our small town!"

I nodded, looking around and seeing many familiar faces. I didn't know them all personally, but I could remember the ones who had visited my shop before. Taking my eyes off of the crowd, I turned back to Kallina.

"Hey, do you want something to drink?" I asked. "I'm gonna go to a stand and get a Coke before the movie starts."

"Oh, that sounds good," she responded. "Get me one, too, please." She smiled at me as I stood up.

"Sure thing. I'll be right back."

I maneuvered my way through the sea of people and found the end of the line for the concession stand. I thought I'd end up standing there for an hour, seeing all of the people in front of me, but it had moved surprisingly fast. I was at the front in the matter of minutes and had ordered two Cokes. The guy working there handed them to me and I gave him a five dollar bill, telling him to keep any change. With the two sodas in hand, I was prepared to return to Kallina, but when I turned around someone was blocking my way. Someone who was not in line, but was purposely standing before me. Someone who was staring into my eyes and smiling sweetly up at me. Someone who has been stalking me ever since she first met me back before I had left high school... Someone with long silver hair...

"Hi, Leigh!" she chirped. "Funny seeing you here!"

"Oh... Hi, Rosalya..." I felt uncomfortable just being near her. "Yeah, it really is funny... Well, I have to get back to my seat now." I stepped to the side and tried to walk around her but she mirrored me and remained in my way.

"Oh, are you sitting with anyone?" I was about to answer her, but she spoke again before I had the chance to. "No? Well, then I insist that you come and sit with me! It's no fun sitting alone!" She wrapped her arms around mine and tried to pull me in the opposite direction from where Kallina was.

"Uh, sorry Rosalya, but I _am_ here with someone...a date, actually." She looked up into my eyes with a cold stare, still hanging onto my arm.

"Let me guess. It's that 'Kallina' girl isn't it?" She tightened her grip on me and I was feeling more and more uncomfortable.

"Yes..." I answered slowly. "Can you please let go of my arm...?"

"Don't you get it, Leigh?" she demanded, ignoring my request. "Can't you see that _I'm _the right girl for you? That _I'm_ the one who cares about you more than anything?!"

"Please let go of my arm..."

"Why?! Why _her_?! Why not _me_?! I can make you happy! Don't you know that? I can make you happier than you've ever been in your entire life! I don't get it! Why _her_?!"

"Because I'm in love with her!" I snapped. "She means more to me than anyone! _She_ makes me happy!" I took a breath and looked straight into Rosalya's eyes. "Please let go of my arm."

Hurt, she released me from her grasp and took a step back. She stared at me blankly for a few moments and then began to speak again.

"You'll regret this," she said softly with anger in her eyes. "You'll regret choosing her over me." With those cryptic words she stormed off, and left me alone again in the crowd of people. I shook my head, hoping that she wouldn't end up doing something crazy, and began to make my way back toward where Kallina and I were seated.

"Hey, what took you so long?" she asked me when I returned. "The movie's about to start."

"Hah, sorry," I said, handing her one of the sodas. "Someone was in my way."

"Oh," she replied, and turned back to face the screen. We sat there for a couple of minutes before a voice came over the speakers, announcing that the movie was going to start. Shortly after, a bright flash blinded us and projected the featured picture onto the screen before us. Finally.

Half an hour had passed and the film was pretty good so far. I glanced over to see if Kallina was enjoying it as much as I was, but I hardly needed to. I could tell what the answer was just by listening to her. She had been laughing hysterically the entire time, tears streaming down the sides of her face. Her laughter was making me laugh more than the actual movie was, and I found myself having to put a hand over my mouth to keep from being too loud. It was great.

"So, do you like it so far?" I whispered into her ear.

She turned to me with a huge grin.

"It's so funny!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I love it! I'm so glad we came!" She turned her attention back to the movie, and then I heard another familiar voice coming from behind us.

"Yeah, it is pretty good, huh?"

I turned around and saw Lysander sitting directly behind me. His eyes were void of emotion and he had a big fake smile plastered onto his face.

"Oh, hey Lysander!" Kallina said, now noticing him. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," he answered, holding a large cup of coffee in his hand. "I didn't miss much, did I?"

"Only thirty minutes of pure comedy genius!" she said, giggling. She turned back and I did the same, my mind dwelling on the presence of my brother.

What's wrong with me? What does it even matter if he's sitting behind us or not? Lysander's not gonna do anything. Even if he has been acting weird lately, I know he's not gonna do anything. He's already told me that he doesn't have feelings for Kallina, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about. Right? It doesn't matter right now anyway. I'm content with how things are. I've got a can of Coke in my hand and the girl of my dreams sitting beside me. Nothing could ruin this for me.

Another ten minutes went by and I found myself not being able to focus on the movie. My mind was fully occupied by thoughts of the girl sitting next to me. She looked so happy, and I was happy just watching her look so happy. My eyes refused to leave her gorgeous profile and I sighed. I so desperately wanted to reach out and touch her, to pull her close to me and let her know that she was mine, but my hands stayed in place on my lap.

I kept watching and kept yearning, but I was paralyzed. But then she giggled again and it was like I had been set free. I couldn't take it anymore. I lifted my arm and wrapped it around her shoulder tenderly as though she were the most valuable treasure on the planet. She looked up at me and I could feel my face turn red. She wasn't put off by the move however, and smiled, inching a little closer and resting her head on my shoulder. My heart practically leaped out of my chest. Does this mean she likes me the same way I like her?

I sighed again as I beamed up at the projection screen. I was just so incredibly happy. Nothing could ruin this for me. Nothing. Then right at that moment it hit me.

_I wanted to kiss her._

I didn't know how to go about it, or even if she wanted me to kiss her, but at that moment it was all I desired. I peered down at her and whispered softly.

_"Kallina..."_

She gazed up at me and I could resist no longer. I leaned down close to her face and closed my eyes.

*SPLASH*

A cascade of brown liquid came pouring down over me. I stood up instantly and looked down at my ruined clothes. They smelled of coffee...

"Oh, sorry Leigh!"

I looked over and saw Lysander. He had an empty cup in his hand.

"I didn't mean it, I swear! It was an accident!" I probably would have believed him had it not been for the mischievous look in his eyes, but either way, I was mad. And on top of that, I had missed my chance...

I looked down at Kallina. She was shocked to see me drenched in coffee and stood up.

"Are you okay, Leigh?" she asked. "I'll go get some napkins." She started to move but I blocked her way.

"No, I'm fine. You stay here and enjoy the movie. I'm just gonna run to the bathroom real quick and clean myself up, okay?" She hesitated for a moment before nodding and retaking her seat. I was about to walk past Lysander when I placed a hand on his shoulder heavily. _"You come with me."_

I stormed away with Lysander following behind at a slower pace. I reached the bathroom and pushed the door open, holding it for my brother as he walked in, and then slamming it shut once he was standing safely against the wall. I was angry and wanted him to know it.

"What was that all about?!" I yelled at him. "Why'd you dump your coffee all over me?!"

"It was an accident," he said innocently, but his eyes were cold as ice.

"Cut the crap!" I shouted. "There's no way that whole cup of coffee just decided to jump out and land on the seat I just so happened to be sitting in!" I was fuming. "You dumped it onto me on _purpose_. I want to know why, and I want to know now! You've been acting cold toward me all week! Don't even try to deny it!"

Lysander leaned back against the wall and continued to stare at me.

"Okay," he started. "I won't."

"Okay? So, why'd you do it?! I want to know right now!"

He crossed his arms and spoke smoothly.

_"Because she's mine."_

I just stared back at him blankly, trying to comprehend what he had just said.

"What?"

"You heard me," he replied easily. "Kallina's _mine._"

I was at a loss for words, and the two of us stood there in an uncomfortable silence for what seemed like hours. But after a moment I began to speak.

"You told me that you didn't have feeling for her the last time the issue was discussed. You said that the two of you were only friends."

"Well," my brother went on. "Things change."

"It doesn't matter either way," I said sharply. "She likes _me_."

Lysander stood up and began to head for the door, but stopped when he was right beside me.

_"We'll see about that."_

He continued walking to the door, pulled it open, and vanished into the night. I was left behind and remained there quietly as the earth stood still. My eyes were lost, staring at the area my brother had last been standing, and my mind had been warped into another dimension.

_What just happened?_

**Author's Note:**

**Wooo! What a chapter. I hope you all liked it. It's certainly the longest! Hah. My personal favorite scene was the one between Leigh and Rosalya. Can you say "drama"? :P Well, either way there will be more drama to come! Please review! Oh, and don't be afraid to ask if you're confused about something in the story. I'll PM you and try my best to explain. Thank you for reading! :D**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Kallina's POV:**

I was walking to my locker in a daze, a peaceful and happy feeling resting inside of me. It was the end of another school day and I hadn't been able to concentrate in any of my classes. My mind was still wrapped around my evening with Leigh that had occurred just the night before. It had been so much fun! The movie was so incredibly hilarious! I'm so glad that Leigh had invited me. He seemed to enjoy himself, too.

I approached my locker and leaned against it, my shoulder pressed to the cold metal. _The same shoulder that Leigh had wrapped his own arm around..._

I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall, remembering his gentle touch. It had been so comfortable, so refreshing, so _amazing_! Not only his touch had been lingering on my mind, however. The look in his eyes. It had made me feel so special, so important...

_So loved..._

I sighed with an emerging grin. Then I opened my eyes as I remembered another detail, my smile growing as the scene played itself once again right in front of me on a screen only my eyes could see.

_"Kallina..."_

I recalled my surprise when Leigh had looked into my eyes with the look he had always given me, except at that moment it had been intensified with passion. Then he had closed his beautiful dark eyes and began to lean in close to me. The realization of what was happening had struck me all at once in that one moment.

_He was going to kiss me._

The very thought of it was driving my heart insane! It couldn't stop pounding, and I had had such an adrenaline rush. It had felt like nothing I had ever felt before, and I was sad that it had to end before our lips had even touched.

I raised a hand and stroked my bottom lip, still lost in the memory.

Our lips would have touched. I remember. I hadn't even thought about what I was doing at the time, but as soon as I had realized Leigh's intention, _I had begun to lean in, too._ My heart had been dying for me to kiss him for so long and the chance had finally come. Too bad it had been ruined. I know it would've happened. _I know our lips would've touched._

I sighed again and stood up, turning to my locker and opening it with my combination. I was content. Just knowing that Leigh had wanted to kiss me made me happy. Anyway, I'm sure the chance will arise again at some point, and I'm _really_ looking forward to it.

I began to shove a few books into my locker, and turned my head when I spotted a familiar head of silver hair cruising toward me.

"Hey Kallina," Lysander said as he came to stand by my side. He had an unusual smile smeared across his face, and his eyes demanded my full attention.

"Oh, hey Lysander," I said, looking up at him. "What's up? Are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah," he answered, nodding his head in exaggerated motions.

"Good," I said back, now closing my locker. "I think I'm just about ready, too."

I shoved a few papers back into my bag and began to turn toward the door. Lysander walked with me, but before I could get very far he stopped me by blocking my path with one of his arms. I looked up at him again, and he just stared back. Then without so much as a word, he grabbed my bag away from me and slung it over his own shoulder. He started to walk again and I just stared after him. He slowed when he noticed that I was not following and turned.

"You coming?" he called back.

"Yeah..." I said slowly. "Lysander, you really don't need to carry my bag. It's really not that heavy."

"I know that," he stated quickly. "I just like doing things for my friends. Friendly gestures, you know?" He smiled and then began to walk back toward the door.

I continued to watch him, my own feet now tracing his steps. He seemed to be acting differently again. I could never tell what he was thinking, and it was beginning to bother me. Actually, it had been bothering me ever since Leigh told me that there was another side to Lysander. This other side...what could it be? He _has_ been acting strange for a while now...

I followed him out into the daylight, shielding my eyes from the sun's strong rays. Lysander was standing in front of me and saying something, but my eyes weren't concentrating on him. They immediately caught the sight of someone leaning against a navy blue Oldsmobile, and my spirits elated instantly.

"Leigh!"

I ran past Lysander and over to the car, nearly tackling Leigh to the ground as I jumped and wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug. I had caught him off guard and he looked surprised, but once he realized that it was me, he laughed and embraced me back.

"My goodness, you startled me!" he exclaimed with a big smile. He peered down into my eyes, still holding me tight. "But I guess I'll forgive you..." He grinned again, delighting my eyes with a charming wink.

"Aww, do you mean it? Do you really?" I teased him playfully. He gazed down at me, squinting his eyes.

"Hmm..." I saw his lips curl into a little smirk. "Well, maybe after another date..."

His implication made my heart flutter with joy. _He wanted to go on another date!_

"Hmm, I guess I'll have to think about that then..." I raised my eyes up toward the sky, pretending as though I were deep in thought, but quickly lowered them back to Leigh's anxious face. "Done thinking!" I said with a laugh. "How about tomorrow night?"

He didn't hesitate, his excited face giving me my answer.

"Sure! Wanna come over to my place and watch a movie?" He thought about what he had just said and then turned a little pink. "I- I mean as long as you'd be okay with it. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything..."

His suggestion made my heart pound even harder. He was right. I had never been over a guy's house before...besides Jade's that it. It would certainly make me nervous...but it would certainly be interesting, too... It would really bring us to a whole new level.

"Yeah!" I held him even more tightly for another moment and then let him go. "I'd love to."

He grabbed my arms and pulled me back in for another hug, and I could hear his heart beating loudly.

"I'm really glad to hear that." I didn't even need to see his face to know that he was beaming.

"But," I began, looking up at him. He lowered his face to reveal a now confused expression. "It _has_ to be a comedy."

"Hah," he chuckled. "Of course."

He let go of me once again and I took a step back, now noticing his new outfit. It was still Victorian, but it had less ruffles. It was tan and had thin black pin stripes running up and down the length of it, black buttons on every pocket. His shoes were blacker than the night sky, and the set as a whole complimented his dark hair and eyes.

"Hey, I like the new outfit!" I told him, letting my eyes take him all in.

"Thanks," he said, looking down at his handmade clothes. "It took a couple of days to get it just right."

Then he raised his eyes and began to look me up and down. He crossed an arm over his chest and rested the elbow of his other on top of it, placing a hand on his cheek. He tilted his head and knit his eyebrows together with a puzzled look.

"Is something the matter?" I asked him with a giggle. "Does my attire fail to satisfy you, Mr. King-of-Fashion?"

My mocking tone made him smirk again.

"No, it's just...something seems to be missing..." He let his eyes fall over me again, and then he snapped his fingers in realization. "Where's your bag?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot! Lysander wanted to carry it for me," I said, turning back and looking over at him. He was still standing in the same spot and was staring over at us, a cold expression locked on his face. I grinned and waved to him, and he gave a little wave in return before quickly replacing his hand at his side.

At that moment Castiel came strolling out of the building. He was looking down at a paper, but when he looked up he spotted Lysander and immediately strode over to him. He reached his side and was pointing at something on the paper, but Lysander didn't look down. When Castiel noticed his lack of attention, he followed his friend's gaze over to us.

I waved again, at Castiel this time, but he didn't return any cordial action. Instead he responded by sending an intense glare our way.

I laughed nervously as I turned my attention back to Leigh. He was staring right back at them, and when I glanced back over I could see a smirk make its way onto Lysander's face. I turned and met Leigh's eyes. He now seemed really nervous.

"Um...is something wrong, Lei-" I wasn't given the chance to finish my question. Leigh had grabbed my hand and pulled me in close once again. He held me so tight I felt as though I couldn't breathe.

_"Be careful."_

I tried to look up into his eyes, but his tight embrace wouldn't allow it.

"What?"

He loosened his grip and took a step back, but kept his hands placed firmly on my shoulders. He bent down a little and whispered into my ear, his voice evidently filled with worry.

"Please be careful, Kallina. Lysander's been...acting a little out of sorts recently..." He paused, looking past my shoulder at his brother, and drew in a breath. "He hasn't...said anything to you, has he...?"

"Um," I replied, recalling all of my recent encounters with Lysander. I thought about it for another moment before shaking my head. "Nothing out of the usual."

Leigh sighed and stood up straight, taking his hands off of my shoulders and putting them into his pockets.

"That's good," he said, letting his breath out. "If he ever _does_ say anything...weird...please tell me, okay?"

I nodded my head in confusion and Leigh looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Kallina. This must sound really strange..."

"No, don't worry about it Leigh," I said, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. "I understand. Lysander _has_ been acting differently, it's just..." I sighed, glancing over at Lysander again. "I don't know why."

Their was a brief pause in the conversation, and I could hear a few birds as they sung on the nearly barren branches.

"Well," I said, taking out my phone to look at the time. "I need to get to my club."

I looked up at him and smiled, watching as his worried face warmed and a grin began to grow on it.

"Alright," he said softly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow night?"

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"Of course," I said. "I'll meet you at your shop, okay?"

"Okay."

I broke away from him and began to head back toward Lysander, but turned to shout one last thing to him.

"Remember! A comedy!"

Leigh smiled one last time before he took his spot leaning against the car again. I continued to make my way over to Lysander and Castiel. I placed my phone back into my pocket when I was in front of them, and then looked up at two blank expressions.

"Hey," I said, waving my hands in front of their faces. "Anybody home?"

Lysander looked down at me and Castiel did the same, crossing his arms.

"Hah...yeah," Lysander answered, his hands shoved into his pockets.

They stood there silently and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable under their watchful eyes.

"So...can I have my bag back, dude?" I laughed awkwardly as Lysander took my bag from his shoulder and handed it to me, his eyes now locked on the ground.

"Thanks, I have to-"

"What were you talking about with Leigh?" Castiel demanded suddenly. I looked over at him, his intense eyes burning into my own.

"Um...nothing much. Why?"

"You two were over there for a while," he remarked. "And you mean to tell us that you didn't discuss _anything_?" Lysander now looked up, his eyes resting on my expression.

"Well, I mean, we planned our next date..."

Lysander's eyes grew wide and I could see a little frown begin to appear on his lips.

"Another date? _Really? _Do you _actually_ think that you two are compatible?!" Castiel snapped at me. "Seriously, he's a DROP-OUT for crying out loud! Did you know that?!"

"Well, yeah, he told me when-"

"So, you're telling me that you go for the dumb guys?"

"Leigh isn't-"

"And on top of that, he thinks he's some sort of fashionista! Doesn't _that_ tell you anything? Most girls with even an ounce of intelligence would think he's GAY!"

"He's not gay, otherwise he wouldn't be going out with-"

"Oh! So you two are actually 'going out', huh? Does he consider you his girlfriend? Did you label each other already?"

"Well, no, we haven't talked about-"

"Let me guess! You two have already kissed, right? Of course you have! You're a 'couple'! AND I bet you've already 'done' it with him, right? Right?!"

_"That's enough."_

I turned around and saw Leigh standing right behind me. I had been so flustered that I hadn't even heard him come up behind me. He stepped around me and stood between me and Castiel, his face contorted with anger.

_"Don't EVER talk to my girlfriend that way again."_

The air was heavy. The tension between the boys had grown so much that I felt I would suffocate if I remained standing there.

Leigh then turned to me.

"Kallina..."

I looked up at him, clutching my bag tightly.

"Head to your club. I'll wait here."

I gulped and nodded my head, beginning to walk around the group. I could feel Castiel's glare as I passed by him, but kept my eyes glued to the ground in front of me. Once I had made it to the side of the school, I looked back and saw Leigh pointing at the red-haired boy, speaking to him with intensity in his eyes. Then he pointed at Lysander and said something before turning and walking angrily back to the car. Lysander nodded his head at Castiel with a little grin and then began to head over to the car himself.

What was going on?! Why did Castiel snap at me like that?! It was like he was trying to get me to break up with Leigh... But why would he do something like that?!

My head was boggled and I leaned up against the side of the building to steady myself. After a minute I felt that I was ready to continue on my way to the club and stood up. I looked around the side of the building once more and saw that no one was there. Leigh's car was gone, too. I sighed a breath of relief. I was so glad that all _that_ was over!

Just then I turned and, of course, bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know someone else was here!" I blurted out, looking at the girl who had stumbled backward when I crashed into her. She looked up at me and I stood there dazed. She was _beautiful._

"Oh, it's okay. It was my fault," she began. "I was standing over there in the bushes. I had been waiting...for you actually..."

I looked at her quizzically. "For me? What for?"

She nodded and asked, "Your name's Kallina, right?"

"Um, yeah...why?"

The girl smirked, and I admired her beauty as her long silver hair cascaded over her left shoulder. A breeze brushed past us and the ends of her hair began to dance. I stood there in awe. She looked like a model!

"You're dating Lysander's brother, right? _Leigh?_" She sighed as his name left her lips, her eyes zoning out to somewhere beyond me.

"Um...yes?" I answered, still confused. "Why?"

The girl snapped out of her daze and crossed her arms, a grave expression forming on her face.

"You should dump him, you know, before he dumps _you_..."

I looked at her, tilting my head.

"What are you talking about?" She shook her head at me with a look of pity.

"Don't you know how many girls that boy's gone out with?! Too many to count! And you know what happened to them? They were all dumped by him." She shook her head again and closed her eyes. "He's just terrible..."

"Um...are you sure you're talking about the right person?" I asked her. "Leigh's not the type to-"

"How would you know?!" she hissed at me quickly. "You haven't been dating him for very long now have you?" She glared at me with a scowl spreading across her face.

"I'm sorry but...I still think you're wrong..." I scratched the side of my neck awkwardly and looked down at the ground.

"Well then," the girl said bluntly. "I guess I'll have to spell it out for you." She took a step in my direction, now standing less than a foot away from me and bringing her face within inches of my own. Her arms were still crossed tightly and her eyes were full of ferocity.

_"Stay away from Leigh. If you don't then there will be consequences. THAT is a promise."_

The girl then turned and walked away as though nothing had happened. I watched as her hair swayed with each of her steps. In a moment she had made her way around the other corner of the building and was gone.

_What was that about?_

I held onto my bag tightly, letting my eyes fall back to the ground. Then after a minute of shock I began to head over to the garden. I didn't want to be late.

**Lysander's POV:**

It was five o'clock. I knew that because I had been staring at the clock hanging on the wall beside the kitchen table for the past five minutes. It was ticking loudly, and was the only noise to fill my ears.

Leigh was sitting across from me, eating silently, his eyes glued to the plate in front of him. He had cooked dinner for the two of us. Chicken and mashed potatoes and corn. I knew that Leigh was a fine cook, but I couldn't bring myself to eat any of it, instead playing with the food on my plate with my fork. We had been sitting there awkwardly for the past ten minutes. Neither of us had said a single word.

Another minute had passed and I had finally grown tired of sitting there. I sighed and set my fork down on my plate, pushing it away from me.

"I'm done..." I said, getting up out of my chair.

Leigh looked at my plate and then up at me.

"You've hardly touched any of it."

"I'm not very hungry."

"Of course you're not..." he sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not eating the meal I made because you're still mad at me," he responded in a knowing manner.

"What reason could I _possibly _have to be mad at _you_ for?" My sarcastic tone struck Leigh and he stood up.

"You _know _what reason. It's because Kallina is my-"

"Oh, HERE we go again!" I said angrily. "You're just gonna keep rubbing that in my face aren't you?!" I stormed out into the living room with Leigh on my tail.

"I don't understand why you're so mad, Lysander! Can't you tell that _she _has feelings for me, too? Don't _her_ feelings matter?!"

"Not until she falls for _me_!" I yelled at him. "And _trust me_, that _will_ happen. I can assure you." I stomped over to the front door and put my hand on the knob.

"Can't you just be _happy_ for us?!" he yelled back at me, obviously fed up with my attitude _"We're in love!"_

"SHUT UP!" I screamed back at his words. I was steaming now. "You're wrong! She's gonna fall for _me_! So just SHUT UP!"

I threw the door open and stormed out.

"Lysander! LYSANDER!"

I ignored my brother's shouts and continued to march my rage away down the sidewalk toward the school.

Who was he to steal her away from me?! She's mine! I'll show him! Within a month she'll be mine!

I walked for about ten minutes and reached the school. I couldn't see anyone around, and walked over to the wall of the building. I leaned my back against it and sighed, trying to cool down. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.

Why was this happening to me? What had I ever done to deserve this? The girl of my dreams...is in love with my brother... No! No, she's not! She can't be... She just can't!

I sniffled and shoved my hands into my pockets just as I heard some voices coming from around the corner.

"Thanks for helping me finish up here. I'm sorry it took so long..." The voice sounded familiar but I couldn't match it with a face.

"Oh, please! It was no problem at all!"

My eyes widened as the second voice rang in my ears. _Kallina..._

Her and the green-haired boy walked around the corner and spotted me almost instantly. They stopped in their tracks and stared.

"Oh, hey Lysander," Kallina said with an uncertain smile. "What are you doing here?"

I stood up and faced the two, my hands still in my pockets.

"Oh, I was just...out for a walk..." I looked down and kicked at the dirt on the ground.

"Oh..." she replied, unsure of what to say. "I see."

The green- haired boy looked at me uncomfortably and then turned to the girl standing beside him and asked, "Um, so do you want me to walk you home?"

She smiled back at him, shaking her head mildly. "No, that's okay, Jade. I think I can manage." She laughed and he grinned back at her.

"Okay," he said back. "Well, I guess I'll be heading off now. Call me later?"

"Of course!"

They quickly embraced and then after a moment they broke apart, and the boy walked away, leaving Kallina and I to stand alone in the night. She watched her friend until he had completely vanished from sight, and then she turned her attention to me. She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Just out for a walk, huh?"

I gave a faint smile and snickered.

"What? You don't believe me?" I narrowed my eyes and pouted at her playfully, and she laughed again.

"It's not that, it's just..." she paused and stared into my eyes before continuing. "...Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with your brother?"

How did she know?

"No, of course not..." She raised her eyebrow again and leaned closer, and I put my hands up. "I swear!"

"Sure, sure..." she said, nudging my shoulder playfully. "Hah, well anyway, I'd better head home now. See you later, alright?" Then she began to walk away.

"Hey!" I called after her, walking up to her side when she turned back to look at me. "Uh...I'll walk you home." She tilted her head and looked as though she were going to protest, but I spoke up again before she could. "I mean, it's on my way back anyway..."

She thought about it before slowly nodding her head. "Okay, I guess." Then we began to make our way over to the sidewalk.

We walked along in silence for a few minutes as I thought of something to say to her. It was harder than it seemed.

"So," I began. "You know, we haven't hung out in a while."

She looked up at me, her brown hair bouncing in its ponytail as she turned her head.

"Yeah, you're right," she said in thought. "I guess I've just been spending a lot of time with Leigh lately." I gritted my teeth when she said his name, clenching my hands into fists in my pockets.

"Well, anyway, I was just thinking that...you know, we should. Hang out again, I mean." I glanced over at her when she began to chuckle.

"I knew what you meant, silly," she said. "And you're right, we should hang out again soon. I miss those times we used to chill together." Then she frowned. "But I don't think Castiel would want to hang out right now. He seems mad at me..."

I felt bad when she said those words, and tried to reassure her.

"No, no. He's not mad. He's just...a very curious fellow..." I peered over at her to see if she were buying it, but it didn't seem so. "Really, he's not mad."

"Thanks, but I don't think I really want to see him right now either way..."

"That's okay!" I said, seeing my opportunity approaching. "_We_ can hang out, just the two of us!"

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"How about tomorrow?" I asked suddenly. My chance was here, and there was no way I was going to let it slip away.

"I have a date with Leigh tomorrow, though. Remember?"

How could I forget...

"Oh, yeah. Well, when are you gonna meet up with him?"

"Around eight."

I smiled at her. "Then there's plenty of time to hang out before that! What do you say? Pleeeease?" I leaned down toward her and made a puppy dog face. I saw her crack a smile and knew that I had won her over.

She smirked at me and shook her head in defeat.

"Okay, okay. We can hang out tomorrow after school."

Yes! I began to silently cheer to myself, and it was as though a tiny parade were going on inside of my head! She said yes! _She said yes!_

"Cool," I said, looking down at her with a smirk of my own. We continued walking along and I couldn't help but let my mind wander with mischievous thoughts.

_I hope you're ready Leigh, because my chance has finally arrived. _

**Author's note:**

**Whoa! Calm down, Lysander! You're starting to scare me! And Leigh! You'd better start planning your strategy now! Otherwise your brother might...who knows! LOL, I hope all of you wonderful readers enjoyed this chapter. Comment and have a fabulous October day, okay? xD**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Lysander's POV:**

I was sitting in my English class for what seemed like forever. As much as I liked the class, I _really _wanted it to end. I tapped my pencil against the edge of my desk nervously and stared at the clock. Two minutes to go before school was over for the day. _Two minutes until I'd be with her._

I looked over toward the opposite side of the class. Kallina was sitting at her desk, diligently working on the homework assignment we had been given just a few minutes ago. She was biting on the eraser of her pencil and scratching her head as she tried to comprehend the directions. I chuckled to myself as I placed my elbow on my desk and rested my head on my hand, watching her with delight. She was just too cute.

She attempted to write something, but quickly changed her mind and erased it, and deciding to give up for the day, took the paper and shoved it into her bag. She sighed and glanced in my direction, and catching my eyes on her, gave a warm smile and waved.

Just as I raised my hand to wave back the bell rang and everyone swarmed to the door. I stayed behind and patiently waited for Kallina as she finished gathering her belongings.

"Ready?" I asked her, grabbing her bag away from her before she had the chance to sling it over her own shoulder.

"Yeah," she answered casually, giving up on fighting against my kind gesture. "Let's go."

We talked about the assignment for English as we made our way out of the building and over to the sidewalk, and laughed when she told me that she hadn't understood a single word of the play we were reading. Well, _Hamlet_ was a complicated piece of literature.

"I am DONE with Shakespeare! Seriously! Why can't we read something from THIS time period!" She continued ranting and I kept laughing.

"What? Like the 'Cat in the Hat'?" She looked at me quickly and threw her arms in the air.

"Yes! It's perfect! We should discuss THAT in class!" she exclaimed.

I squinted my eyes at her and shook my head. "You're not serious, right?"

"Of course I am!" she went on. "I mean, think about all of the symbolism in it! The talking fish is our conscience, Thing one and Thing two are our choices in life, and the cat represents our inner-most desires! It is DEFINITELY a complex piece of poetry."

I gazed up at the darkening cloudy sky, and considered her logic. _Inner-most desires..._

"Hm, I suppose you have a point."

She snickered. "Duh!"

Once we had gotten to the sidewalk we had agreed to stop at her house to drop off her things first. We would then head over to my house so that I could do the same, and then I would take her somewhere special. Just thinking about it made me giddy.

I looked up at the sky again. I was really hoping it wouldn't rain.

We continued along, advancing in our conversation about Dr. Seuss and his best works, until we had reached her home. Once we were walking across her lawn, she began to dig a key out of her pocket. She climbed up the steps to the front door and I waited a few feet away on the grass. After unlocking the door, she turned and looked at me, almost confused.

"What are you doing over there? Come on."

"Oh," I said uncertainly. "It's okay if I go inside?" My feet refused to move.

She turned back again and sarcastically answered, "No, I just invited you in because I actually wanted you to stay standing on the lawn."

I couldn't help but smirk at her.

"Well, I guess I'll just follow you then, you know, because you don't want me to." I winked at her and walked briskly after her into what appeared to be the living room.

"So," I began. "This is your house, huh?" I looked around. It was a cozy dwelling that reminded me of my own.

"Yup," she responded, beginning to walk up the stairs. I waited at the bottom and looked up at her figure as it ascended the steps. Then she stopped and turned mid-step. "Aren't you coming?"

"Am...I allowed to?"

"No," she said, turning back and taking another slow step. "I just asked you to follow me because I didn't want-"

Before she could finish, I chased her up the stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom, her shrieks of laughter piercing the air. I dropped her bag onto the rug and chased her into the corner, pinning her to the wall. She continued to giggle.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!" she said, trying to push me away. "No more sarcasm!"

I eyed her, unconvinced.

"Really?"

"Of course..." She giggled again and I couldn't help but smile. I pulled her off of the wall and wrapped my arms around her.

"Was _that _sarcasm?" I asked. She broke away from me with a big grin glued to her face.

"Maybe."

She picked up her bag and began to empty its contents onto her bed, aligning them in a row, the hardest homework on the left and the easiest on the right. After always seeing her shove papers and books into her bag and locker, I was surprised to see how organized she actually was. I watched her as she then began to stack the textbooks and slide them to the corner of her bed.

"There," she said in a satisfied manner. "All ready for later."

"So are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah, almost. I just have to get a couple of things."

"Alright," I said, trying not to hurry her. "May I use your bathroom while you finish?"

"Sure," she said without raising her eyes. "It's the first door on the left."

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute."

I strolled out of the room and walked a few feet down the hallway to a door. I grabbed the doorknob and swung it open gently, entering into the dark room.

I was walking on a soft surface and tilted my head in confusion. That's funny. I didn't know anyone who had a bathroom with a carpet.

I shut the door behind me and searched for the light switch. I ran my fingers along the smooth wall and after taking a couple of steps, found it. I switched the light on and in an instant my eyes grew wide.

_This wasn't the bathroom._

My eyes scanned my surroundings, my feet frozen in place again. I was standing in a room that had pink walls. Posters of boy bands were taped onto them. There were girly clothes littering the floor and bureaus, and there was a big pink-quilted bed in the corner that had about a dozen frilly pink pillows covering it. There was a half-opened closet, shoes of every sort spilling out of it, and there was a white bookshelf filled with dust-covered works of literature I had never heard of.

_Where am I?_

After looking around the room once more I had come to the conclusion that I was in another girl's room, but before I could put two and two together, I heard a voice whispering sharply behind me.

_"Lysander! What are you doing in here?!"_

I turned suddenly and saw Kallina staring back at me with a look of horror in her eyes.

"Didn't you say the bathroom was the first door on the left?" I asked utterly baffled.

"Yeah!" she answered, still whispering. "The first door on the left going down the _other _end of the hallway!" She looked horrified. "_This is Samantha's room!_"

My eyes grew even wider. My feet were still frozen. Then we heard the noise. A door slamming. Then voices. Two voices. Two girls. Their voices grew louder and both Kallina and I knew that they were coming up the stairs. Kallina rushed inside and shut the door as quietly as she could.

_"It's Samantha!" _she shrieked in a panic. _ "And Amber's with her! We have to get out of here and quick! She'll kill us if she finds us in here!"_

I tried to remain calm, but her nerves were contagious and I began to get worried.

"Well, what do we do?!" I asked. She looked around the room and I saw her eyes lock on something on the opposite wall.

"The window!" she shrieked again, crossing the room and unlatching the window. She opened it effortlessly and then turned back to me. "There's a landing just below this window! We can climb onto it and then climb down the drain pipe to the ground!"

"Are you crazy?!" I said, moving over to the window and looking down at the landing. "Isn't it too high?!"

"No, no! It's fine! Trust me!" She began to throw one of her legs through the open window and onto the other side, but I swiftly placed my hands around her and pulled her back in. She looked up at me, bewildered. "What are you doing?! We have to get out of here NOW!"

"I understand," I said softly into her ear. "But let _me_ go first, okay?" She stared up at me for a moment before nodding. I knew if we were really going to do this that I would have to be the first one out. I mean, what if she fell? I needed to be there to catch her. I was NOT going to let her get hurt.

I sighed and let go of her, and made my way over to the window. I threw my bag out it and onto the ground, and then I moved out onto the landing as quickly as I could. I waited for her and helped her out, making sure she was safe. Then once we were both on the landing, I gently closed the window from the outside. I made my way over to the drain pipe and gripped it tightly as I climbed down it. I could feel a few raindrops begin to fall on my head.

Once I had planted my feet on the ground I called up to Kallina.

"Okay, it's your turn! Be careful!"

I watched as she gripped the pipe just as I had. She shifted her weight off of the landing and slowly began to make her way down, careful with where she placed her feet. A minute had passed already, but she was still clinging to the pipe. The rain was beginning to shower us, but it was nothing too bad. That is, until it had completely showered the pipe as well.

It had happened all in an instant. A boom of thunder had surprised us both, and caught off guard by the loud explosion in the sky, Kallina had lost her footing and slipped. She fell from the pipe, tearing her shirt on it on the way down, and gave a yelp. Luckily I had been standing there, right below her. I caught her in my arms and we both fell onto the muddy ground, the rain coming down heavier and drenching us. We both breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, still lying on the soaked earth.

I got up and pulled Kallina up with me. The tear in her shirt was clearly visible, and revealing a great amount of skin around her side and midsection. My eyes couldn't help but stare as she tried to cover herself.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered, obviously in shock. "You...saved me..."

I blushed a bit, but tried to brush it off, reaching into my bag in search of the extra shirt I always carried around. I pulled out a large white button up shirt and handed it to her, averting my eyes.

"Here, put this on over your shirt," I said quickly. "When we get to my place I can get you a better shirt to wear, but for now this should do, unless you want to go back inside and change?"

She shook her head quickly and grabbed the shirt, wrapping it around herself. It was too big for her, and looked absolutely adorable on her. My eyes were locked on the sight before me, and I could feel my face grow warm again. _The girl of my dreams was wearing my shirt._

"Okay, well let's go," I said, taking her hand in my own and leading her in the direction of my house. "We have to get there before you catch a cold!"

We walked briskly along the sidewalk, the rain pouring down on us in buckets.

Well, there go my plans. I'll have to take her there some other time.

In a couple of minutes we had reached the front door of my house. I retrieved the key from my bag and unlocked the door, quickly ushering the shivering girl beside me into the warmth of my home. I shut the door behind us, just as another deafening boom of thunder shook the house.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking over at Kallina. She was standing in the middle of the living room, dripping water onto the floor and shaking. She nodded her head, but I wasn't convinced. I walked over to her and pulled her into my embrace, trying to warm her up. Then just as I was about to say something to her, another voice sounded from the hallway up the stairs.

"Lysander? Is that you?"

We raised our eyes to the top of the staircase just in time to see Leigh appear. He was buttoning up the red shirt he had put on, but when his eyes fell on Kallina, he stopped what he was doing. His eyes rested on her shivering figure.

As he gazed down at us, I knew exactly what he was thinking. Here was his girlfriend, standing before him, standing with _my_ arms wrapped around her, allowing _me_ to touch her, allowing _me_ to be the one to warm her, all while _he_ was unaware and watching from a distance. On top of that, she was wearing my shirt, and I knew he had noticed. I looked down at it and saw that the rain had thoroughly soaked it, and her own shirt could be seen beneath it, along with the giant tear in it, exposing her skin.

Kallina sneezed and I raised a hand to her head, pulling it to my chest and caressing it. She closed her eyes in a tired daze. I looked up at Leigh and smirked. His eyes were still fixated on us. It were as though he had been frozen, unable to speak and unable to move.

However, he broke the spell and began to make his way down the stairs, a look of worry spreading across his face, but this didn't worry me. I knew how to freeze him again. I bent down and rested my head beside Kallina's, moving my lips down her cheek and to her neck, kissing her there softly. I raised my eyes back to Leigh and watched in delight as he stopped once again, staring with an almost hurt expression. He placed a hand on the rail of the staircase, steadying his puzzled body, and tried to speak, the words leaving his lips as though on a soft breeze.

_"Lysander...What's going on?"_

**Author's Note:**

**GAH! I am soooo sorry I haven't posted in like, FOREVER, but okay, get this, I have an excuse! And in my opinion it is QUITE reasonable and...hopefully...forgivable? Maybe? Okay, so I've been dealing with crazy posessions, and weird love triangles, and shadow clones, and a SMOKIN' HOT sensei! Ahem...(a.k.a. I've finally started watching Naruto and have become utterly addicted! *Kakashi 3* xD) I'M SORRY, but now I toooootally understand why it's like, the number 1 anime in the anime world! It's soooo good! And I totally advise everyone to watch it! :) Well anyway, I hope you fogive me. I know it's been a while, but I'm gonna try to get back on track, to maybe a once-a -week kind of thing. Okay, so anyway, what'd ya think of the chapter? Exciting? I hope so! More to come, so be ready!**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Kallina's POV:**

My head felt so heavy. I thought I was going to topple over, but to both my relief and surprise, I was already on my side, lying on something soft. A cloud? No, of course not. What am I thinking? Well, if I'm not on a cloud, where _am _I?

My eyelids felt just as heavy as my head did, and it took me a couple of minutes before I could actually open them. I felt a gentle tickling sensation on my right cheek, and when I had finally managed to open my eyes, I saw Leigh's angelic face staring back at my own. He had been stroking my cheek softly with one of his hands as he sat next to me on a wooden chair.

"Well, well," he whispered tenderly. "Look who's finally woken up."

I weakly raised a hand to touch his, but before I could it quickly fell back to my side. I was completely drained of energy.

"Leigh? Wh-where am I?" I managed, trying to sit up. He helped me, giving me one of his arms and slipping the other behind my back. I fell into his shoulder and tried to look up at him.

"You're at my place. Lysander brought you here. Remember?" He brought his hand up to my face and brushed a few strands of wet hair out of my eyes. "But you fainted, so we laid you down on the couch." I sneezed and he looked into my eyes. I could see the worry welled up in them. "I've been trying to wake you up. You're soaking wet and it seems as though you've caught a cold. We need to get you into something dry."

He began to stand up slowly, resting my weak body against the back of the couch.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go find something for you to wear, okay?"

I slowly nodded my head and watched as he walked over to a staircase and up the steps until he was out of view. Then I closed my eyes, trying to rest them as much as I could before he came back. I couldn't believe how drained I felt, and I placed a hand on my head just as I heard it.

*BOOM*

I jumped at the explosion and fell off of the couch and onto the floor with a thud. My eyes grew wide with invigoration as I looked back in the direction from which the noise had come. A window with its curtains adjusted to one side revealed a downpour of heavy rain just beyond its pane. I watched in amazement as the massive drops plunged to the ground.

With my eyes still locked on the view I tried to lift myself up off of the floor, but a sudden flash of brightness overtook me and caused me to fall back with another thud. My eyes grew even wider.

Was that..._lightning?_

Another earth-shattering boom chased the light and I jumped again.

_W-was that THUNDER?!_

I covered my ears and turned away from the window, hoping that Leigh would return soon. My head was spinning, the boom still ringing in my ears.

"Some storm, huh?"

I looked up and just a little ways away I could see Lysander sitting in a large comfortable-looking chair with his legs crossed. His hands were folded neatly on his lap and he was staring back at me with blank eyes.

"Yeah..." I answered, slowly taking my hands from my ears and lifting myself back onto the couch. "Sure is loud!"

When Lysander had spoken it seemed to release me from my trance and it felt like I was just opening my eyes. I was seeing everything for the first time, and had finally realized where I was.

"So," I began, speaking more to myself than anyone else and looking around, taking everything in. "This is your house, huh?"

I gazed around the room, and it looked like a typical living room, but there was one detail that struck me odd. Ten candles dispersed about the room were the sole sources of light illuminating the area.

"What's with all the candles?" I asked, looking at each flame in wonder.

"The power's gone out," I heard from the stairs. I looked over and saw Leigh holding a shirt and pair of pants. "It happened while you were sleeping."

"Oh," I replied, watching as he approached me and handed me the articles of clothing. He looked apologetic.

"Sorry, but this was all I could get. My Mom took all of her clothes with her when she went on her trip." He looked down at the clothes and put his hands in his pockets. "Those are mine, and they might be a bit big, but at least they're dry."

"Thanks," I told him, now trying to stand up. He gave me one of his arms and I took it.

"The bathroom's right this way," he said, leading me over to a hallway. I could feel Lysander's eyes on us as we passed him, and at the same time I could feel Leigh's arm tense. I looked up at him but his stare was locked straight ahead.

"Here it is," he said, waving his hand in the direction of a white door. "Take your time. I'll be waiting out in the living room." I smiled at him and he gave a faint grin in return. He raised one of his hands and placed it on my cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I placed my own hand over his, feeling the warmth that was emanating from it.

"I'm fine," I answered softly. "Thank you."

He looked doubtful, but wrapped his arms around me as though he were trying to accept it. He held me closely and then I heard him gasp.

"You're even colder than I thought!" He ushered me into the bathroom within a second, and before closing the door he said, "Hurry and change. I'll be waiting."

Left alone in the bathroom, I stood silently in the middle of the white-tiled floor, wet and muddy footprints following behind me to the spot I was standing. I kicked off my shoes and clutched Leigh's clothes close to my body, absorbing as much heat as I could from them before putting them on. Then, placing them on the counter beside the sink, I began to undress, removing Lysander's soaked shirt first and then my own torn one. I slowly took off my wet jeans, them scraping against my legs uncomfortably as I did so, and threw them aside.

My body felt incredibly cold as I stood there exposed. I rubbed my arms for a moment and then reached for the dry clothes.

Leigh had given me a black button-up shirt and a pair of gray jeans. I shoved my arms through the sleeves of the shirt and hopped into the pants as quickly as I could. I couldn't stand to be cold any longer. I buttoned up the shirt and walked over to the full body length mirror. Leigh was right. His clothes were a bit big. The sleeves were a little long and fell past my hands and the jeans felt a little baggy on me, and I almost had to hold them up. I snickered at my reflection in the mirror. Well, at least I was warm.

I went back to the pile of sopping wet clothes on the floor and began to fold them. Once they were in a neat stack, I picked them up and opened the bathroom door, remembering to grab my shoes on the way out. I walked out into the living room and found Lysander in the same spot he had been sitting with Leigh across from him on the couch. They both looked up at me simultaneously and stared.

"Um..." I said awkwardly. "Do you have a plastic bag or something I could put these in?"

After a moment of sitting in what appeared to be shock, Leigh got up and walked over to me briskly.

"Oh, I'll, um, let me take those for you!"

Leigh grabbed the stack of clothes from me, and as I looked up at him I could've sworn that I saw a hint of pink reveal itself on his cheeks, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was just the flicker from one of the candles.

"I'll just throw these in the dryer first. You can put your shoes by the door if you want."

"Alright."

I moved over toward the door and saw a couple of pairs of shoes lying on a floor mat. I knelt down and placed my own beside the others. Then as I stood up, my eyes were drawn to the window beside the door. The weather still looked pretty bad. I moved my face closer to the glass and peered up at the sky.

Just then another bolt of lightning blinded me, and I shrieked, stumbling backward into someone. They caught me in their arms and when I turned, I saw Lysander looking down at me with a smirk.

"You need to be more careful. If you're afraid of thunder and lightning, you shouldn't be standing next to the windows." He wrapped his arms around me a little tighter and leaned down, whispering in my ear, _"But I can keep you safe."_

I broke away from him and turned to face him.

"I'm not afraid of that stuff," I said bravely. "It just...catches me off guard, you know?"

He smirked again and brought a hand to my chin, lifting my face up toward his.

_"You can't fool me."_

I blushed and Leigh reappeared at that moment, stopping in his tracks when he saw us. I stared past Lysander to him and Lysander turned his head to follow my gaze. Leigh's eyes were emotionless, but his mouth quickly turned into a frown. Then his eyes, following suit, narrowed at Lysander. He walked over to us in swift steps and grabbed my arm, tugging me away from his brother and leading me over toward the couch. Lysander just crossed his arms and directed himself back into his chair.

"Hah, I leave for one minute and my brother's got his hands all over you," he joked, but his eyes seemed more serious. "I'm sorry about that, but don't worry..." He sat down on the couch and pulled me down next to him, wrapping his arms around me. He gazed down into my eyes sweetly and then turned his head to look over at his brother. _"I won't be leaving your side again for the rest of the night."_

I looked up at him in confusion.

"For the rest of the night? What do you mean?"

He looked down at me in realization.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! Your mother called your cell phone earlier while you were asleep." He scratched his neck with one hand and lowered his head. "Well, I hope you don't mind, but I answered it since you wouldn't wake up. She was wondering where you were and sounded a bit worried, but once I told her you were here with me, she sounded a lot more relieved, and, um..." I looked up at him and could see that his face was a little red.

"Go on," I said, urging him to continue.

"Well, uh...she sort of mentioned how the storm was only going to be getting worse throughout the night and, um...well, she sort of encouraged your staying here tonight..." He looked down at his hands and then into my eyes. "She doesn't want you out in this weather."

I gazed into his eyes, comprehending what he had just told me. That certainly _does_ sound like something my mother would say...

"I...see..."

Leigh shifted a little awkwardly.

"So, if you want to, I mean, you can stay here tonight..."

I thought about the offer for a good minute before responding.

"Well, if my mother doesn't mind, then I guess it's alright," I told him. Then I looked over my shoulder to the windows. "She's right. It really does look like it's getting worse out there."

Leigh held me tighter.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. _I_ really don't want you out in that either." He pulled my head against his chest and sighed peacefully. "I'll arrange a room for you after."

"Thank yooo-!" I sneezed mid-sentence and Leigh looked down at me in surprise. Then he noticed my shivering.

"Why, you're still cold!" he commented. "I guess those clothes can only do so much." He looked down at his clothes encasing my freezing body and seemed to blush again. Then he reached behind the couch and pulled out a little blanket, wrapping it around my body. "There. Feel any warmer?"

I began to turn red as I said what was on my mind.

"I'd feel even warmer if you wrapped your arms around me again..."

He beamed, showing a smile warmer than any blanket, and without haste, granted my wish and engulfed me into his arms.

"Better?" he asked softly into my ear.

_"Much."_

"Ahem!"

I looked over and saw Lysander noisily reach for a magazine. He plopped back into his chair and began to fan its pages audibly, sneaking glances at us as he did so. Leigh ignoring his brother's desire for attention, began to strike up the inevitable conversation.

"So, why was your shirt torn? Did something happen?" He stole a chance and glared over at Lysander with suspicion.

"Not really," I replied. "We were just escaping the house before Samantha found us in her room and murdered us both." I laughed a little. "We went out the window, and I slipped while climbing down the drain pipe."

Leigh's eyes grew wide.

"That sounds dangerous! you could have seriously been hurt!"

I lowered my head in shame as his worried eyes pierced me.

"Yes, I know..." Then I raised my head back up and smiled. "That's why I'm glad Lysander was there. He caught me before I hit the ground!"

Leigh slowly turned his head in Lysander's direction, and Lysander just peered back at him over the top of his magazine with a little smirk.

"Of course. I would _never_ let you get hurt," Lysander said, now gazing into my eyes. He leaned forward in his chair and repeated himself. _"Never."_

Leigh looked uncomfortable, so I started to speak again.

"We came here to get away from my sister," I said, and then I added, "Plus Lysander wanted to hang out, so we thought this would be good place to come and escape the rain."

"I see," Leigh said, nodding his head in reluctant understanding.

"By the way, Leigh," I began. "What were you doing here? I thought you had work today."

He nodded his head again.

"Yeah, I did, but I came home early because I accidentally got my outfit dirty. I wanted to come here and change before seeing you tonight."

"Oh," I said, looking down at my hands and thinking about the date we were supposed to have. "I guess we won't be able to watch that movie tonight."

Leigh shook his head apologetically.

"No..."

He looked over at Lysander and saw that he was _actually_ reading his magazine now. Then I saw a little smirk form on his face as he turned back toward me. He pulled me even closer and rested his forehead against mine. He gazed into my eyes for a few moments before moving his lips next to my left ear and whispering softly.

_"But we could still have a fun date tonight without the movie."_

His breath on my ear sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine. I giggled softly as I moved to whisper back into his ear.

_"Sounds like fun."_

He turned back and saw that Lysander was still indulged in whatever he was reading, and when he returned his attention to me he smiled.

"Well, it doesn't seem as though we'll be getting any privacy if we stay down here," he told me softly. "Wanna go up to my room?"

I narrowed my eyes at him in playful suspicion.

"Your room, huh?" I said with a smirk.

He matched my stare and shook his head.

"Don't worry. I _promise_ I won't do anything inappropriate!"

I giggled and tilted my head, whispering into his ear again.

_"Well, I'm not promising anything,"_ I teased him.

He beamed and wrapped me in one last tight embrace before getting up off of the couch. He grabbed my hand and pulled me after him toward the staircase, trying to hide his excitement, but before we could make it there, Lysander placed his magazine down on his lap and watched us.

"Where are you two going?" he asked in a tone that made me believe he already knew the answer.

I was the one to speak up.

"Well, we're just gonna go-"

I didn't have the chance to finish. My explanation was cut short by a violent knocking at the front door. The room grew silent as we all stared in the direction the knocking had come from. It had stopped for a moment, but then it started up again, and it was clear that someone wanted us to open up.

Leigh let go of my hand and walked over to the door. With his hand on the knob, he decided to ask the visitor who they were before actually letting them in.

"Who is it?" he asked politely through the wood of the door. His question was answered by more knocking, and growing tired of it, he opened the door.

No sooner had the door been unlocked had a silver-haired girl spilled into the room, crashing against Leigh and wrapping her arms around him.

"Leigh!" she cried breathlessly. "I'm so glad you're safe! I was so worried!"

Leigh looked down at the girl in shock.

"R-Rosalya?! What are you doing here?!"

She peered up at him, still trying to catch her breath.

"I had to know if you were okay! This storm is insane! When I saw that your shop was closed, I had to come here to make sure you were alright!" She buried her head into his chest, sighing loudly in relief. "I'm SO glad you're okay!"

Leigh tried to pry her off of him but found his efforts unsuccessful.

"Yes, well, I _am_ safe."

Rosalya loosened her grip on him and took a step back, but her hands were still latched onto his body.

"I'm so glad!" she exclaimed, now looking around the room at the candles. "And you poor thing! You have no power! You must be SO bored! Hey, I have an idea! Why don't I stay and-"

Her words halted when she spotted me by the stairs. The room grew quiet and she drew back her hands and placed them by her sides, staring at me all the while. Her eyes, after being so full of emotion and relief, had gone blank.

_"Kallina..."_

The way she said my name sent a shudder throughout my body. I felt as though I were in danger, as though a hungry carnivorous beast had spotted its prey. _And I was that prey._

"Oh, um, hi..." I said weakly.

She turned back to Leigh with a twinkle of rage in her eyes.

"Leigh," she began sweetly. "What's _she_ doing here?"

"Why, Kallina's having a sleepover with us tonight," I heard Lysander say as he stood up from his chair. "The storm's too intense, so she's waiting it out here for the night."

"I-Is that so..." I watched as Rosalya's eye began to twitch.

"Yeah..." Leigh said, uncertain of how the girl would react, but she just stood there quietly.

Then I saw a mischievous look appear on Lysander's face and he started to speak.

"Hey! You know what, Leigh? Rosalya should stay the night, too! I mean, that storm _is_ pretty bad, and look at her! She's soaked! Maybe you could lend her some of your clothes, too, just like you did with Kallina..."

Leigh shot a death glare at his brother while Rosalya ran her eyes over my unfitted outfit, knowing instantly that I was wearing Leigh's clothes. Her stare pierced me, and then her mouth twisted into an evil smirk.

"You know what? I think I'll take you up on that offer. I _really _don't wanna go back out into that mess. Thanks, Lysander!"

She dropped the bag she was carrying onto a chair and walked over to the couch, sitting down on it and crossing her legs while me and Leigh exchanged awkward glances. Lysander crossed his arms with a smile and walked back to his chair, plopping down on it again and taking up another magazine.

_"This ought to be interesting."_

**Author's Note:**

**I find it ironic that I wrote this all while Sandy was disturbing me (Sandy is the hurricane terrorizing the east coast of the US) and causing my power to go out and turn back on all day! Luckily, the power had come back on so that I could charge my laptop's battery! Otherwise I may not have been able to finish this today. I hope you all like this chapter, 'cause I do! :D More to come, enjoy!**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Just a heads up, this is a REALLY long chapter...so, yeah...with that being said, ENJOY!**

**Chapter 17**

**Lysander's POV:**

No one spoke. It seemed as though all breathing had stopped as well. The room had grown as quiet as a cemetery. Tension had been building ever since Rosalya had arrived and everyone knew it. I flipped another page of my magazine and smiled whenever I glanced up from it. I couldn't help but feel amused as I watched the three figures sitting before me.

One was sitting on the floor and playing with the long sleeves of the shirt that Leigh had given her, avoiding eye contact with the girl sitting opposite her on the couch.

With her long silver hair sparkling with every flicker of the candles, Rosalya sat angrily with her legs and arms crossed, staring back at the girl opposite her on the floor with murderous intent.

I tried my best not to laugh as my eyes locked on the best part of the scene sitting on the floor between the two. His eyes were glued to the ground, but every now and again he'd glance back and forth between the two girls, squirming under the weight of the agonizing tension.

Hah! _Poor Leigh._

I flipped another page of my magazine just as Rosalya broke away from her stare at Kallina and looked my way. She didn't say a word, but she didn't need to. I knew what she was thinking.

I gave her a little nod while the others continued to gaze at the floor, and in response to my signal I could see one corner of her mouth turn upward to form a devilish sideways grin. I lowered my eyes back to an article I had begun to read, a grin of my own creeping to the surface of my lips.

_The party has begun._

Rosalya uncrossed her legs and arms, stretching them in her place on the couch in a showy manner. She bounced a little restlessly in her spot, peering over at my brother the entire time. I knew what was coming next.

"You know, this couch really isn't that comfortable," she complained, sliding herself off of the cushion and onto the floor.

We all watched as she moved toward Leigh like a hungry lion whose spotted an antelope, and placed her hands on his arm. Leigh shifted uncomfortably, his eyes filled with almost undetectable fear, while I looked on in delight.

Rosalya smiled innocently at him and kicked off her shoes next, moving them out of the way while she continued to hold Leigh in her grasp. Then in one swift motion she slid her legs over his and wrapped her arms around his neck, practically sitting on his lap.

Leigh looked mortified while Kallina just stared on helplessly, raising a hand gently to her chin, unsure of what she should say or do. It certainly was a sight!

"Um, what are you doing?" Leigh asked quickly, trying to push himself away from the girl. She held onto him tightly, however, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"_This _is SO much more comfortable, don't you think?" She sighed and gazed up into his eyes while Leigh pulled himself as far away from her as he could.

"Uh...no, not really..." he responded, glancing over at Kallina who had begun to stare at the ground again.

"Hah, you're such a joker, Leigh!" the girl on his lap laughed, playfully touching his chest. "You _always_ know how to make me smile."

Leigh coughed, looking away in the opposite direction, but she wasn't going to let him ignore her. She placed one of her hands on his cheek and turned his face toward hers.

_"Always..." _she whispered.

She then shifted a little on his lap, now facing him more, and began to move her face up to his, her hand still on his cheek. Leigh's eyes shot open as he realized her intentions, and it seemed as though he were unable to move. Rosalya closed her eyes as her lips approached his, and I noticed the panic begin to spread across his face.

This is going to be GREAT! If Kallina sees them kiss, then...

I had been smiling to myself the entire time. This is just what I had been hoping would happen!

I looked over at Kallina to see how she was reacting to what was about to occur, but her eyes were still on the floor. She hadn't looked up since she had witnessed Rosalya seat herself on her boyfriend's lap.

I squinted my eyes and tried to decipher the expression on her face, but the dim candlelight made it difficult to do so. Perhaps she was saddened by the thought of what was about to happen...? Or maybe she was actually _happy_ it was going to, knowing now that she would have a reason to dump him and come running into _my_ arms!

_That_ thought was driving me crazy!

Rosalya's face was only inches away from Leigh's now, and I could see that he was struggling to distance himself from her. I was beginning to get anxious.

Come on...just a little more! Just a quick peck! _Anything_ as long as it'll make her want to break up with him!

I was on the edge of my seat now, the magazine falling from my lap.

Just a little more... Come on... _Come on..._

"SNACKS!"

Leigh and I looked over in the direction the exclamation had come from, and even Rosalya had quit her mission to turn and find the source of the outburst. Our eyes all rested on the girl on the floor, sitting upright with determination and playing with her sleeves.

"Um, Leigh?" she started shyly, looking over at him. "I'm kind of hungry...do you have any snacks here?" She returned her eyes to the ground and bit her lip, hoping that he had understood her intention.

Leigh's eyes widened for a moment as he comprehended the signal, and Rosalya, caught off guard, fell from his lap as he jumped to his feet. He began to laugh in relief as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Of course! Snacks! Thank you for reminding me, Kallina," he said over his shoulder as he moved. He disappeared through the doorway of the kitchen and within seconds we could all hear the clashing of plastic bowls and the sounds of bags of chips being opened.

The rest of us remained in the living room, sitting silently as we waited for my brother to return. Rosalya sat in a huff a few feet away from Kallina, her eyes like daggers as she stared at the girl who had interrupted her moment with Leigh. Kallina, keeping her eyes on her sleeves, sat patiently. As I watched her, I could've sworn I saw a little smirk form on her face, but I couldn't be sure. If it _had_ been there, it had vanished with the next flicker of a candle.

I gave a little cough, trying to get Rosalya's attention. She looked over at me, and without saying anything, I continued my conversation with her. We had to advance in our plan. The first strategy had failed, but the next should work if executed properly. We exchanged one final look as Leigh walked back into the room carrying three bowls, each filled with chips. I sighed, and sat back in my chair.

Our plan has to work. It just _has_ to. After all,_ I hadn't called Rosalya earlier and asked her to come over for the whole scheme to just fall apart._

"Hope you like chips," Leigh said, chuckling nervously as he set the bowls down on the floor. "It's all we really had."

"Chips are perfect, Leigh," Kallina told him as he walked around to the other side of her, positioning himself on the floor away from Rosalya. "Thank you."

He peered over into her eyes as she smiled sweetly back at him. Then he leaned over in her direction.

_"No. Thank YOU," _he whispered into her ear so that Rosalya couldn't hear. He then leaned back and winked at her, giving her a little smile as he grabbed for a chip. She blushed as he gazed at her, and it made me feel sick. I needed to end this. NOW.

"Ahem!" I tried to get their attention and was successful as they all turned toward me. "Well, I don't know about all of you, but sitting here in silence is boring me out of my mind. Now that we have snacks, shouldn't we do something to make the night more fun? Like play a game or something?"

"Oh, yes! A game!" Rosalya cried excitedly with a clap of her hands. "Let's play a game!"

Leigh looked over at me suspiciously and asked, "What kind of game?"

I scratched my chin with my index finger, looking up at the ceiling as I pretended to be contemplating. Then I raised my finger into the air as though I had come up with the perfect answer.

"How about Seven Minutes in Heaven?" I suggested, now looking over at Kallina. Leigh narrowed his eyes at me, his mouth forming a tight frown.

"NO."

I began to laugh as he continued to eye me.

"Hah, I was just kidding, Leigh! Calm down!" I said, still laughing. "But in all seriousness, I have the ultimate party game."

They waited as I paused dramatically. Then I raised my hands up and waved them through the air as though I were a magician.

_"Truth or Dare."_

Leigh glared at me again.

"NO."

I placed my hands down on my lap and asked him, "Why not?"

"Yeah! Why not?" Rosalya jumped in. "That's a _great_ idea! Let's play it! Come on!"

I looked over at Kallina, ignoring Leigh and asked her, "What do you think, Kallina? Don't you think we should play it?"

All eyes gathered on her as she looked up in surprise.

"Oh, well, um..." she began, rubbing her neck with the sleeve of her shirt. "I mean, it doesn't matter to me... I...don't see why not...I guess we could play it..."

"Then it's settled!" Rosalya rejoiced.

Leigh just sighed, submitting to the majority's vote. I knew he wasn't happy with it, but that only elated me more. With the game decided, I got up out of my chair and walked around to the other side of Kallina, taking a seat beside her on the floor.

"I wanna go first!" Rosalya went on, brushing her hair over her shoulder with her hand. "Okay...LEIGH! Truth or dare?"

Leigh rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, knowing where it would be going with either answer he gave, and because of that, he could never choose "dare" on Rosalya's turns.

"Truth."

"Okay," she started with a big grin. "What type of girls are you into?"

He rolled his eyes again, but the look was quickly replaced as a small smile began to break out on his face as he came up with his answer.

"Well," he responded, glancing over at the girl sitting beside him. "I like girls like this!" He wrapped his arms around Kallina and pulled her over to him. She began to turn bright red as he brought his cheek next to hers. "_This_ is the type of girl I'm into."

Rosalya grew dangerously quiet as she watched them, dragging her sharp fingernails over her own arms as she fought off the desire to reach over and strangle the girl trapped in his embrace. I understood the action completely. I felt the same emotion run through my own veins. Except I wanted to strangle the guy _holding_ her...

"I see," she said dryly, staring at the pair. A terrible silence then formed, and I looked over at my brother.

"Well," Leigh said, breaking the tension. "It's my turn now, right?" I nodded at him and he smiled. "Alright then. Kallina. Truth or dare?"

"Um...truth!" she decided after a moment.

"Okay, what's your favorite color?"

"Uh, probably...green. Yeah, green."

"Cool."

Rosalya and I just stared at him, dumbfounded. Has he never played this game before or what?!

"That was a stupid question!" Rosalya burst out, shaking her head. "You're supposed to ask good questions!"

Leigh didn't look at the girl, but answered her anyway.

"I can ask whatever I want to. The rules don't limit the type of questions you can ask." Before Rosalya had the chance to retort, he spoke again. "Okay, now it's your turn, Kallina."

"Okay," she said, turning to face me. "Lysander. Truth or dare?"

I could see Leigh watching me out of the corner of his eye as I made my decision.

"Hmm, how about dare?" I told her, smiling mischievously. I was going to prove it to her. I would do anything she told me to and I wanted her to know that. "So, what've you got planned for me?"

"Let's see..." she said, gazing up at the ceiling. "I dare you..." Her eyes scanned the room as she thought of something for me to do. "Oh! I know! I dare you to do the chicken dance!"

I laughed at her request but stood up in preparation nonetheless.

"That's _all_?" I asked, still chuckling.

"Yeah," she replied with a big grin. "Why? You too _chicken_ to do it?"

I smiled back at her and without another word began to do the embarrassing dance in front of the group. As I followed through with my dare, exactly what I was expecting to happen did indeed occur. Kallina laughed hysterically at the sight of me, and Leigh and Rosalya both smiled, covering their mouths with their hands. I didn't mind. After all, everything was going according to plan...

I bowed dramatically at the end of my performance and sat back down while Kallina clapped, still laughing with tears now running down her cheeks.

"That-That was so-!" She couldn't stop laughing. "That was so funny!" She wiped her eyes, shaking her head at herself while Leigh watched her, smiling at her amusement.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I bellowed, raising an arm into the air. "But now I do believe that it is _my_ turn to go."

She eventually calmed down as I began to speak.

"Alright, Rosalya. Truth or dare?"

"I'll go with truth," she said confidently, knowing what I would ask.

"Okay, I've got the perfect question..." Leigh looked over at me, and I could tell he was praying it had nothing to do with him. I just smiled.

"Who are you in _love_ with?"

I glanced over in Leigh's direction and his stare had turned cold and hard. He already knew the answer. We _all_ already knew the answer. But I couldn't help it. It was so much fun to watch him squirm like this!

"Well," she answered easily. "Obviously my soul mate! And he just so happens to be sitting right over _there_..." She pointed a delicate finger in Leigh's direction and he rolled his eyes in response. "What's wrong, Leigh? Don't you know that I'm your soul mate? Well, one day you will! And when that day comes, we'll-"

"OKAY, MOVING ON!" Leigh shouted over her. "Next question, _please_!"

Rosalya sat up more erectly, hurt at his words, and glanced over at me. I nodded my head at her and she began to show a smug grin. It was time.

"Okay...Kallina!"

Kallina looked up, surprised that Rosalya was actually talking to her in what appeared to be a friendly manner.

_"Truth or dare?"_

Kallina thought about it and began to give her response.

"Truth."

I shook my head at her and she looked at me with confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you always going to choose truth? Come on! Try dare for once! It can be a lot of fun!" I smiled with accomplishment as she looked as though she were reconsidering her answer.

"I don't know..."

"Yeah," Rosalya chipped in. "I _promise_ I won't make you do anything weird. I mean, I don't wanna make anyone feel uncomfortable or anything. That wouldn't be very fun, now would it?"

Leigh watched me and Rosalya with even more suspicion in his eyes, but he decided not to say anything. _His mistake..._

"Well...okay, I guess..." Kallina finally said. "I choose dare."

Rosalya smirked with diabolical eyes that flickered cruelly as the flames of the candles danced in them.

_"Excellent."_

She stretched one of her legs out in front of her and leaned back onto the couch, resting her arms on the cushions just behind her.

"So, what do I have to do?" Kallina asked, a hint of nerves shaking her voice as she realized who she was dealing with.

Rosalya tilted her head, silently staring at the girl across from her, the evil smirk still plastered onto her face.

_"I dare you to kiss Lysander."_

Leigh instantly pounced at the words, his eyes wide in protest.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT."

I smiled with innocent eyes as I turned toward Kallina, whose eyes were just as wide as my brother's.

"I-I don't think I can do that," she stammered timidly, blushing at the dare she had been given.

"Why not?" Rosalya asked authoritatively, her eyes as cold as ice. "It's a _dare_. You _have_ to do it."

"Well, I, uh..." Kallina rubbed her left arm nervously and stared down at the floor. I reached over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me and bit her lower lip.

"It _is_ a dare," I told her, rubbing my neck as though I were as nervous as she was. "We _do _have to do it, you know..."

"I understand, it's just..." She looked up into my eyes and I could feel my heart skip a beat. "I've never had my first kiss before..."

My heart had nearly stopped when the words left her lips, and without even looking over at him I could tell that Leigh's had stopped as well.

_Does this mean that I'll be the one to give her her first kiss?_

"THAT'S IT," Leigh's voice exploded before I had the chance to say anything. "THIS GAME IS OVER."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Rosalya burst. "She has to finish her dare first! You can't stop the game right in the middle of it!"

_"Watch me."_

They went back and forth for about a minute, before Kallina spoke up. She had been lost in thought as they bickered, but had now appeared to have come to form her own decision.

"I'll do it."

They both stopped in the middle of their argument and looked over at her, Leigh's head turned slightly as though he had heard her incorrectly.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"I said I'll do it," she reiterated. "It's just one little kiss, right?" She peered over into my eyes and I could feel my breath catch in my throat.

"Oh! Ah, yes! Just o-one little kiss!"

"Then I'll do it. Just to get it over with." She gazed back up at Leigh and smiled. "'Kay?"

Leigh's jaw hung open slightly as he listened to her, his eyes filled with hurt and misunderstanding.

_"What?"_ he whispered, but Kallina had already turned to face me.

As I watched her sitting in front of me, now sitting up on her knees, the palms of my hands began to get sweaty. I could feel my face begin to turn pink, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Okay," she said, looking to the side. "I'll kiss you, but you have to close your eyes first, alright?"

Her eyes twinkled in the candlelight and I felt as though I couldn't breathe. She had completely taken my breath away.

"A-alright!" I told her, shutting my eyes tightly as excitement filled my body.

"Okay..." I heard her say, but then her words were followed by an agonizing silence. I listened, but there was nothing. It was like the room had completely emptied in the few moments my eyes had been closed. I couldn't hear anything. Was she even still there?

Then I suddenly felt her hands reach out and touch mine. I jumped a little at the gesture, but relaxed as she held them tightly in her own. I could feel my face begin to burn even more now. I was getting _too_ anxious.

"Alright, here I go..." I heard, followed by a gasp from Leigh.

I could tell she was beginning to lean in, and braced myself for the impact of her lips against mine. I was ready for it. I wanted it _so_ badly, and I couldn't believe it. _My wish was about to come true!_

After a second, I felt her breath on my face, and knew it was about to happen. I should just count it down! When I get to one, I'll have had my first kiss with Kallina, and have given her _her_ first kiss as well. Okay, here it goes! Three... Two... One...!

Then I felt it. The warmth of her lips. Her soft, soft lips. A burst of joy exploded in my heart as I felt them pressed against my skin, but it wasn't until after her lips had retreated away had I realized that _my_ lips had never even touched hers.

I opened my eyes in a daze and stared into her eyes as she began to blush, looking down at the ground.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Rosalya shouted at Kallina. "You kissed him on the cheek! You were SUPPOSED to kiss him on the LIPS!" Her hands were clenched into fists as she yelled, but Kallina wasn't affected by her loud words. Instead, she spoke back to Rosalya, confidence and pride in her voice.

"ACTUALLY, the dare was to _'kiss Lysander'_." She grinned, beaming up at Rosalya. "You never said _where_ I had to kiss him!"

I was still in shock that she had kissed me at all. Sure she hadn't kissed me on the lips, but she _did_ technically kiss me, and that in itself was a step in the right direction! However, the more my mind lingered on it, the more I _really did want that kiss. _The _intended_ kiss, that is.

"You know, Rosalya's right, Kallina," I scolded her with determination in my eyes. "I'm _sure_ you knew what she meant by '_kiss'_ me..."

I leaned over and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward me as she gasped in surprise. She looked up into my eyes in curiosity as I lowered my face toward hers, my arms holding her tightly. I wasn't about to let her escape.

"Now how about that _real_ kiss..."

Before my lips could make contact with hers, a pair of hands landed heavily on my shoulders and pulled me up off of the floor. Kallina, released from my grip, scrambled to her feet as her eyes grew wide.

"LEAVE HER ALONE," my brother growled at me as he dragged me away from her.

I could tell he was steaming from the whole affair, but because it was Leigh, I knew he wouldn't get _too_ physical with me, _especially _since Kallina was watching. Instead, he removed his hands from my shoulders and moved up close to me, causing me to walk backwards into the wall. I began to get nervous as he put his face right in mine, glaring at me with fire in his eyes.

_"NEVER TOUCH HER AGAIN," _he hissed at me out of the girls' earshot. _"She's mine, and that's NEVER going to change." _I had never seen my brother act _this_ harshly toward me before, and it nearly gave me chills. I didn't want to look into his eyes, but I couldn't help it. The wrath in them demanded my full attention.

_"Got it?"_

He stepped back but his eyes were still locked on me, infuriated. The room was silent as I stood with my back still pressed against the wall.

"Um...Leigh?"

Kallina's voice seemed to break his trance and he suddenly began to look around as though he didn't know where he was. He turned to face the girl standing behind him, and in a flash of realization, he grew heated again.

_"Let's go up to my room."_

He walked over to Kallina and reached for her wrist. Taking it in his hand, he began to tug her toward the stairs, leading her up them quickly as he escaped the tension he had just built. A few moments later I heard his bedroom door being shut, and feeling the thick air begin to thin, I moved away from the wall.

Rosalya eyed me carefully before crossing her arms and speaking.

"Our plan failed."

I scratched the back of my neck, closing my eyes and trying to forget about the look that had been in my brother's.

"Yeah, I know."

"Well," Rosalya said quickly, raising an arm in the air as she placed the other on her hip with worry. "We have to do something! They're up _in his room_ right now!"

"Yeah, I know..."

"Well," she began again. "What are we supposed to do now?!"

I brought a hand to my chin as I thought.

"Well, I guess we'll have to do the only thing we _can_ do..."

Rosalya raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

I smiled and began to head over to the stairs.

"Well, we're just gonna have to go and eavesdrop," I told her. "And stop them if it seems as though they're going to...do anything."

She thought about it and nodded her head in agreement, following me up the stairs to the area just outside Leigh's bedroom.

**Leigh's POV:**

Kallina and I were sitting on the floor in my room. She had been silently gazing at me while I stared at the ground. It was a little awkward, but I just couldn't do anything at that moment. I was just too irritated.

I brought a hand up to my face and inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I exhaled and brought my hand back down onto my lap, replaying the events that had just occurred downstairs.

How could I have let that all happen? I should've known those two were up to something! They _both _have ulterior motives. Of course it wasn't going to be a game played without cause! Neither of them have an _ounce_ of innocence in them! How could I have been so careless?!

I shook my head and remembered the look on Lysander's face when Kallina's lips touched his skin. How I envied him at that moment. He had received her first kiss. _Her first kiss! _Something that could never happen twice, and I was unable to share that moment with her...

Kallina continued to watch me, saying nothing as her face said it all. Worry was written all over it.

"Leigh, are you okay?"

It was a simple question, but one that only reminded me of her being in Lysander's arms again. It pierced me and I remained quiet, lowering my head into my hands as she sat there, unsure of what was wrong. I wanted to ask her what was on my mind, but I knew it would only hurt me more. I couldn't do it...but I knew I must.

"Kallina?" I said softly, my head still resting in the palms of my hands.

"Yes?" she asked, worry in her voice as well.

"How...was it?" I refused to look up, but could still feel her eyes on me.

"How was what, Leigh?" she asked, a bit puzzled now.

I gulped, not wanting to say it, but knowing I had to. It was going to come up eventually, whether it be sooner or later, but personally I just wanted to get it over with now.

_"Your kiss with Lysander."_

I rubbed my face, hoping to erase the pain from it.

_"It was your first kiss, right?"_

I waited for her response, expecting the worst, but found myself surprised by her answer.

"What are you talking about? That wasn't my first kiss."

I raised my head out of my hands slowly and peered up at her, hoping she didn't mean what I thought she meant.

"Y-you mean you've had your first kiss...before tonight?"

Somehow this thought hurt even more. I shook my head again and lowered it back down into my hands.

Then I heard a curious noise... It was Kallina, and she was...giggling?

She moved closer to me and placed her hands on the sides of my face and lifted it up out of my hands once more, making me look up into her gentle eyes.

"No, silly!" she laughed, stroking my cheek with her fingertips. "I've _never _had my first kiss!"

I looked at her with a perplexed expression, urging her to explain herself. She giggled again, catching the hint.

"Well, it might sound silly, but I only consider kisses on the _lips_ to be the real deal. They're the only ones that count." She smiled sweetly into my face as I stared up at her, awestruck by her words. "That kiss with Lysander _doesn't count _in my book. It was only on the cheek. Friends kiss each other on the cheek _all the time_, but it's not meant to be romantic!"

She let go of my face and moved herself closer by my side.

"I would _never_ give Lysander my first kiss, silly!"

I continued to stare at her, dumbfounded as she spoke.

"Why not?" I asked her. I don't know why, I just needed to know.

"Because!" she replied, confidently. _"I'm not in love with him." _

She sighed peacefully and turned her gaze toward the window, leaning against my arm as she did so.

"Plus, I would only want to share my first kiss with my boyfriend..."

We sat there like that for what seemed like ages. There was a quiet calm that relaxed my body with every second it surrounded me. I felt as though I could cry tears of joy. The pain that had penetrated my heart only a minute before had completely lifted, leaving me feeling renewed as I moved my hand over, placing it on top of Kallina's. I leaned down and rested my head gently on top of hers.

"Do you really mean that?" I asked her softly with a shaky voice.

She leaned against me even harder and wrapped one of her arms around mine, holding onto it tightly as she responded.

"Of course I do." She moved her head so that I would have to lift mine, and peered up into my eyes, a little blush shading her cheeks. "I really like you, Leigh."

I couldn't keep myself from smiling at her words. I was _so_ happy! I then teasingly squinted my eyes at her.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." She giggled again and repeated herself, holding my arm even tighter.

"I really, _really _like you, Leigh!"

"Pardon? One more time?"

She realized what I was doing and began to blush even harder. She gave me a sly look as she gained her confidence and began to speak again.

"Okay..."

She turned suddenly and reached her hand up to the other side of my neck and brought my ear down beside her lips. She hummed softly before whispering into my ear, sending a shiver up my spine.

_"I'm in love with you, Leigh."_

My heart had just about jumped out of my chest. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned my head and brought my face as close as I could to hers without them actually touching. She didn't seem to mind, but the roses of red were still painted onto her cheeks.

_"Really..."_

I wanted to kiss her. More than anything in the world, at that moment I wanted to kiss her. She had just admitted to being in love with me. We're _both_ in love with each other! We share the same feelings! And if that's true, then she'd have wanted to kiss me, too, right? It was my sole desire. I _really_ wanted to kiss her...but I couldn't...because right at that moment when I was about to lean in..._they_ _ruined it!_

My bedroom door swung open with a loud bang and _those two fools_ strode in, acting as though they hadn't interrupted anything when they perfectly knew they did. Rosalya stood off to the side with her arms crossed, watching on with imprecation while Lysander stood with anger built up inside of him.

"We need to arrange the rooms now," he demanded. "It's getting late." He crossed his own arms and stared at me, knowing what would have happened if he hadn't burst through the door when he did.

I stood up and Kallina followed suit, standing beside me and rubbing her sleeves together.

"Why don't you go find Rosalya a place to sleep then," I told him, shoving my hands into my pockets, upset that my moment with Kallina had been ruined over such a meaningless issue.

"I have no idea where to put her," my brother continued. "So you should do it."

I could see the arrogance in him rise to the surface of his skin. He knew he had been successful in stopping me, but I wasn't about to let him have the last laugh.

"Fine," I answered. "Rosalya can take _your_ room and _you_ can sleep on the couch."

Rosalya gushed about how much of a gentleman I was, going on and on while the corners of Lysander's lips began to curve upwards.

"That sounds perfect, Leigh," he said, a tone presenting itself. "Oh, I know! Kallina could sleep out there, too!" He turned his eyes toward my girlfriend and smirked. _"There's plenty of room down there."_

"No," I told him flatly. "That arrangement won't do."

"Then where will Kallina stay, Leigh?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just stared back at me, unfazed.

"Oh! I know!" came a cry from just a few feet away.

We turned our attention to Rosalya. She was smiling and staring at Kallina.

"Us _girls_ could stay in Lysander's room together, and _you two _could bunk in here! How's that sound? You wouldn't mind that, right Kallina?"

Kallina rubbed her arms together nervously. I could tell she didn't want to, but she was too sweet to reject the proposal.

"Well, uh, sure. I guess that would be fine..." She looked up at me as though she were going to say something, but Rosalya quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Good! Now that we've got THAT settled, let's go set up our sleeping areas!"

They were gone in a second with Rosalya's voice trailing off as they made their way down the stairs to Lysander's room. My brother and I were left alone in my room, an eerie quiet creeping upon us to fill the void where voice had once rung. We stood as though we were frozen, but within a moment life had started up again, and he began to move toward the door. He walked out and I sighed a breath of relief.

I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, shaking my head at the arrangement that had been made. I walked over to my door and shut it, quickly changing into my night-wear before anyone came back. I sighed again.

This was going to be a LONG night.

Fifteen minutes had passed and everyone was ready to go to sleep. Rosalya had changed into a robe my brother had offered her and Kallina remained in my clothes, saying that they were comfortable enough for her. We all said our goodnights and headed off to our designated rooms. It was an unsatisfying departure, but it couldn't be helped. Kallina and I couldn't do anything when either of _them_ were around.

I walked back to my room with my brother, neither of us saying a word. I headed straight for my bed and slipped under the covers of it while he fixed himself comfortably on the floor, wrapping a sheet around him and resting his head on his pillow. Once I saw that he was all set I reached behind me to shut off the lamp that had been illuminating the room.

*CLICK*

Darkness filled the room, but peace didn't come with it. I laid there on my bed and listened to the annoying sound of my brother as he constantly adjusted his position on the floor. I shut my eyes and tried to ignore him, but he just wouldn't stop. I was about to say something to him, but when I faced him, the room had finally gone silent.

I turned onto my side, my back now facing my brother, and sighed, closing my eyes and trying to fall asleep as quickly as I could. The faster I fell asleep, the sooner I'd wake up. Then this nightmare would be over and I could finally be with Kallina.

The room had remained quiet for about a minute before a voice pierced the darkness.

"Well, this was fun, huh Leigh? We should all get together and do it again sometime."

I could tell he was grinning, but I wasn't going to turn and face him.

"Shut up."

With those words, the conversation had ended.

(AN HOUR LATER):

I don't know why, but as much as I tried, I just couldn't fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about Kallina.

How was she doing? Would she be able to handle spending the night with _her_? What's been going on while I've been lying up here doing nothing? If Kallina had fallen asleep before Rosalya, then that evil girl could have done something to my girlfriend without anyone even knowing. What would she do? What would she do to Kallina?! Rosalya _is_ a psychopath... Oh no! What have I done?! I should never have left her alone with that insane stalker of mine!

My eyes were wide open as I began to grow increasingly worried. I sat up in my bed and swung my feet over onto the floor. I had to go check on her. I had to make sure she was okay!

I waited for a moment, listening for my cue to move. Then like music to my ears, a particular noise greeted me. _Lysander was snoring._

Knowing that my chance had arrived, I lifted myself off of my bed and carefully made my way over to the door of my bedroom. My brother's snoring continued and I glanced down at him. His eyes were shut and he looked peaceful. It was weird seeing him with such a look on his face after all of these days. I had grown too used to his irate expressions.

I slipped out without Lysander waking up and began to head for the stairs, but as I took the first couple of steps down them I noticed something strange.

_There was a candle still flickering in the corner of the room._

I paused on the stairs and squinted my eyes in confusion.

That's really weird. I could've sworn I had blown them all out before we all went to bed.

I continued down the stairs and walked into the living room where the candle had been lit. I looked at it for about a minute before my eyes fell on something else. _Someone else._

A girl was sitting at one end of the couch, her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them, a blanket covering her shoulders. Her head was buried into her knees, and it appeared as though she hadn't noticed my entrance. I moved over to her carefully, trying not to startle her.

"Kallina?"

She jumped and looked up in shock, trying to focus her eyes on my figure standing before her.

"L-Leigh? Is that you?"

I slowly sat down on the couch beside her, nodding with a baffled smile.

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in Lysander's room and sleeping?"

I don't even know why I had to ask. I should've known the answer to _that_ question already. Kallina scratched her leg as she replied, her eyes on the wall across from her.

"Well...Rosalya kind of ended up not liking the arrangement after all..."

She made the attempt to laugh, but I could see right through it. Nevertheless she carried on.

"She, uh...sort of kicked me out."

My eyebrows raised in surprise. I almost felt relieved. That's all she did, huh? Well, it was MUCH better than what I had been imagining!

"I see," I said to her. "So you came out here?"

She nodded her head and wrapped the blanket around her more tightly.

"Well," I began again. "Do you mind if I stay out here with you?"

She looked up into my eyes and shook her head softly, giving a tired smile.

_"I'd love it if you stayed with me."_

My heart pounding with every word she said, I moved myself closer to her. I was about to wrap my arms around her, but before I could, she engulfed me into her blanket, her arms encasing _me_ tightly. She pulled me as close as she could and rested her head on my chest. I could feel the warmth of her body as it pressed against mine and my heart began to thump even louder. I'm sure she could hear it. There' no way she _couldn't_.

I sighed and watched the candle in the corner of the room. It was just about burnt out, the flame growing smaller and smaller. I opened my mouth, about to say something, but Kallina beat me to it and said _exactly _what was on my mind.

"You know," she said softly. Her eyes were fluttering from her exhaustion. "We're _finally_ alone now..."

I raised a hand to her face and stroked the hair out of her eyes as she began to drift off into sleep. I smiled down at her and then closed my own eyes, happy that the fact was true.

"Yeah..." I said, a yawn leaving my lips with the word. "We are, aren't we?"

I rested my head on the back of the couch. and that was the last thing I could remember. In the next second, I was out like a light.

**Author's Note:**

**Woooo, this one was long! :P I just couldn't bring myself to stop in the middle! This took FOREVERRRR to write, but I love the drama between these brothers. AND I had to make it so that there was a little something for both the supporters of Lysander and the supporters of Leigh...so what'd ya think? I know, too, that THIS ending doesn't really hint at what may be coming next...guess you'll just have to suffer until the next chapter arrives! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Love all ya guys! ;D **

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Lysander's POV:**

I stood there silently, staring at the _disgustingly horrific_ scene before me as rays of the morning sun began to penetrate through the glass of the windows in our living room. My mouth was twisted into an unpleasant scowl while my eyes allowed the sight to be burned into them.

Here before them were the two people who occupied my mind more than anyone or anything else. The person I adored, the person my heart yearned for more than anyone else in the whole wide world...was enveloped in the arms of the person I detested most. I'd say I couldn't believe it, as though I were still asleep and having some sort of repulsive nightmare, but I knew I'd only be kidding myself.

Rosalya was at my side. She was staring on as well, her hands clenched into tight little fists, ready to use them to wake up the girl tenderly being encased by my brother's arms. I waited for her to explode but to my surprise she became uncharacteristically calm. She tilted her head in thought and crossed her arms.

After about a full two minutes of watching in silence I couldn't take it anymore. The sight alone was torture.

"I'm going to wake them up," I told Rosalya, getting ready to lunge forward and wrap my hands around Leigh's neck. I took a sinister step forward, but that's as far as I made it.

"Wait," I heard Rosalya say when she saw me begin to move. I stopped where I was, with one foot in front of me, and turned back to her. She was still staring at them, a hand brought up gently to her chin as she pondered. Then without lifting her gaze to me, she said, "Our plan...didn't work."

I turned to completely face her, a look of pure disbelief expressed in my eyes.

"You're kidding!" I said sarcastically, raising a hand to my mouth. I rolled my eyes at her and returned my hand to my side as I sulked. "_Obviously_ it didn't work..."

She remained quiet, but after another minute she spoke again.

"I have a plan."

I shoved my hands in my pockets and shook my head.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't work. Everything we've tried has failed," I told her, sighing and looking over at Kallina and my brother. _"Everything."_

She shook her head and continued to watch them as though she were in a trance.

_"This one won't fail."_

I watched her, but her face was emotionless, no hint of her plan evident on it.

"Well?" I asked her. "Care to share?"

She continued to gaze at the sleeping couple, but in the next second she was alert...and angry. She turned quickly on her heel and stormed off into the kitchen, leaving me without an answer. I was confused by her action, but didn't follow her. I didn't know what to do. I just turned back and continued to stare at them myself, my feet glued to the floor.

What could possibly be effective enough to split _these_ two up? AND she said it wouldn't fail! Is that even possible?

I rubbed my chin as I thought about it, but the more I pondered the more curious and doubtful I became.

I can't think of anything besides murdering Leigh right here and now while he is sleeping. Kallina would never know it was me and then I could be the one to comfort her when she becomes all distraught over her _ex-_boyfriend's death.

I rubbed my chin some more before gently shaking my head.

No. That wouldn't do. My parents would surely be upset if I killed Leigh. No, I suppose he'll have to remain alive.

I sighed and lowered my head toward the floor.

Besides killing off one of them, what _could_ be done? Rosalya seems a little too sure of herself. Will her plan actually work? I wonder what it is...

As my mind began to race through the list of possible schemes she had ready, Rosalya emerged from the kitchen carrying a glass of water. She walked up behind the couch to where Kallina and Leigh were still intertwined together and in one quick motion she dumped the water all over Kallina's head. She then began to laugh as both Leigh and Kallina woke up instantly, confused by what was happening. I stared into her eyes as she watched Kallina be released from Leigh's arms. There were two little devils dancing behind the windows of her pupils, raising their pitchforks in victory.

Leigh jumped up and moved his head in a sort of triangular pattern as he looked from me to Rosalya to Kallina and back to me. He then locked his gaze on Kallina and saw that she was dripping wet. He helped her up carefully and then shot me a death glare.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" he shouted at me.

Rosalya began to laugh some more and Leigh's head turned quickly to her. That's when he noticed the empty glass in her hand. By the look in his eyes I could see that he was putting two and two together.

"_YOU!" _he growled at Rosalya as she set the glass down on the table by the door. "You did this to her didn't you?!"

Rosalya just grinned.

"Yup!"

She grabbed her bag and walked over to the front door. She opened it, getting ready to leave, but before she walked out she turned back and looked at me with a smirk.

_"It won't fail. Trust me."_

Then with an evil giggle, she left. The door shut behind her locked in a new tension. Leigh turned back to me and I could tell that he was going to explode.

"HOW COULD YOU LET HER DO THAT TO KALLINA?!"

Yup. I called it.

"That was completely inconsiderate! Just look at her! She's practically shaking!" He wrapped an arm around Kallina and began to lead her toward the bathroom. "Come on, let's go get you dry again."

They vanished around the corner, but in mere seconds Leigh was back and standing against the wall. I figured that Kallina must have been in the bathroom changing into something else.

We stood there awkwardly staring at each other while we waited for her to come back out. It seemed like an hour before she emerged out of the hallway, but it had only been minutes. She was now wearing her own clothes, but she was also wearing another one of Leigh's shirts to keep her torn shirt hidden from view. I clenched one of my hands into a fist and hid it behind my back, gritting my teeth all the while. I was REALLY getting sick of seeing her in Leigh's clothes.

"We should probably get you home now," my brother said, searching for her bag as she went to put on her shoes. "That way your parents won't get too worried."

"Alright," she responded, nodding her head with sleep still in her eyes. She yawned and nearly toppled over onto the side of the couch. She was clearly still exhausted.

Leigh noticed this, too, and slinging her bag over his own shoulder, swiftly walked up to her and scooped her up into his arms. Her eyes made a weak attempt at looking surprised, but her eyelids were too heavy. She rested her head on Leigh's shoulder, curling up against his chest as he held her.

He smiled at her and then began to make his way for the door. He stood in front of it and then turned back to me.

"Could you please open this for me."

The words came out bluntly but his stare was sharp. I moved over to the door and reached for the knob, twisting it and pulling the door open. He moved through the doorway and out onto the front steps.

"Thank you," he said without turning to face me. "I'll be back after I drop her off."

He started to walk over to his car and once they were both in it I slammed the door shut. The house seemed to shake and did so even more as I stomped off in the direction of my bedroom. Upon reaching it, I entered into the peaceful area and jumped onto my bed, messing up the covers completely. My hands searching for something, _anything_, as a minor fit of rage consumed me, found the soft corner of my pillow and grabbed ahold of it, flinging it across my room to the wall opposite my bed.

It fell to the floor as my heart beat quickly. I sat there on the bed, staring at the pillow, and then I fell back onto the soft covers of my bed as I tried to relax a little. I placed my wrists over my eyes, shielding them from everything. From rays of light and thoughts of Leigh. I had to calm down.

After a minute or two I could feel myself breathing normally again. My chest wasn't heaving in anxiety anymore. I let my hands fall to the sides of my head and then I quickly tucked them beneath my skull as I locked my gaze on the ceiling.

I began to wonder again. What is Rosalya planning on doing? How is she going to break them up? Is it _really_ going to work?! Is there hope?! _I have to know!_

I shut my eyes tightly as Kallina's face appeared in my mind. I pulled my hands out from under my head and placed them over my eyes again, but she was still there. I could still see her. And Leigh was there, too. They were...holding each other...and getting closer and closer...

I sat up and violently slammed a fist onto the edge of my bed, biting my lip as I tried to avoid the thought of them getting close enough to do..._that_...

I rubbed my eyes and fell once again back onto my covers. I sighed as I stared blankly up at the ceiling. But I wasn't looking at the ceiling. All I could see was her face.

Rosalya, I really hope you know what you're doing, because whatever it is...IT HAS TO BE DONE NOW!

**Author's Note:**

**Hah, well sorry this one's a bit short, but I have more stuff planned. So expect the big bang to be in one of the upcoming chapters! Will this big bang actually involve Kallina? Maybe someone else? Will Lysander ever tell Kallina his true feelings? Will Lysander ever find out what Rosalya's confident plans are?! Will Lysander and Leigh ever ACTUALLY get into a fight?! WILL WE EVER FIND OUT HOW MANY LICKS IT **_**REALLY**_** TAKES TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP?! The world may never know... _ **

**So stay tuned! :D**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Kallina's POV:**

Although I was still tired and had my eyes closed, I was still aware of what was going on around me. The fresh air was brushing my skin and the sun was shining through my eyelids. I could hear the sound of Leigh's shoes sloshing as they walked over the soaked soil on his front lawn. I could feel the warmth of his body as he held me in his arms.

The next thing I knew the car door was being opened and I was being gently seated in place. I could feel the seatbelt being pulled across my body and then I heard the click. The door shut softly and I waited in the silent car as Leigh walked around to the driver's side. In the next instant he was sitting beside me and starting the engine up. As he began to pull out of the driveway he glanced over at me and caught my eyes watching him. His eyes filled with worry and apology, he began to speak.

"Are you okay, Kallina? You're not still cold are you?" Without giving me the chance to answer he immediately moved his fingers over the dashboard and twisted a little knob to turn the heaters up. I shook my head with a tired chuckle.

"I'm fine, Leigh," I told him, turning my head so that I was facing forward. My slight grin had faded and I let out a great sigh. "I just don't know why she did that to me." I thought about Rosalya. About that malicious look on her face and that laugh which had succeeded in making my skin crawl.

Leigh looked over and saw that I was feeling quite troubled over the matter. He carefully placed a hand on my knee and I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his eyes which were fixed on the road.

"I'm so sorry she did that to you. She had no right to."

I let my eyes fall to his warm hand as my mind continued to dwell on her twisted grin. She hadn't bothered me that much before, but now her attacks were getting more and more...hostile.

"I just don't get it," I went on softly. "Even from the first time we bumped into each other..."

I recalled the fire in her eyes on that day. And those words. Along with her stare they were burned into my mind.

_"Stay away from Leigh. If you don't then there will be consequences. THAT is a promise."_

I rested my right elbow on the car door and raised my hand to my forehead.

"I just don't get it. Have I done something to her? I don't remember doing anything to her!" I said and Leigh quickly attempted to reassure me with a little shake of his head.

"No, I'm sure it's nothing. She's just always been like that with any girl that even _looks _at me." He chuckled and then I began to wonder. I scratched my forehead with one of my fingers and then turned to him.

"Hey, Leigh?"

"Yes?"

"How do you know Rosalya?"

He looked over at me with a flash of what appeared to be confusion mixed with anxiety, but despite his expression I pursued the topic without hesitation.

"I mean, what relationship do you two have? She seems...pretty _interested_ in you..."

He lifted his hand from my knee and placed it back on the steering wheel, his eyes becoming serious as his shoulders stiffened.

"There isn't a real _relationship_ to discuss. She's just a girl I met when I was still in high school." He sat up straight, his knuckles turning white as his hands tightened on the wheel. "She was just another classmate."

I sat there for a moment wondering about the validity of his statement.

Was she _really_ just a classmate? By the way she draped herself over him last night it certainly seemed like there was more to this than Leigh was willing to let on. I turned my eyes toward the window.

"Is that so? Well, why is she so crazy about you now? You guys must've been-"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it, Kallina."

He never looked at me, and unsure of what to say next, I turned back toward the window.

"I see..." I answered finally, deciding not to take the conversation any further. It was obvious by Leigh's tense body that he did not want to speak any more of the matter, so I restrained my curiosity.

The rest of the ride to my house was filled with quiet thought, both of us staring blankly at the road ahead of us through the windshield. After another two minutes we took one last turn and were finally on my street. Leigh pulled his car up along the curb outside my house and quickly got out to go and open my door while I unstrapped myself. Once the door was open I got out and then shut it behind me. We stood there awkwardly for a moment before one of us broke the silence.

"So," Leigh began, trying to find some words after their previous conversation. "We're here."

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans and nodded lightly.

"Yup."

Another awkward moment fell upon us. I rocked gently on my heels as I waited for him to say something else. He cleared his throat and stepped a little closer to me.

"Well," he said wrapping his arms around my waist and shining his warm eyes at me. "I hope we can get together again soon." He peered at me with a little smile. "_Without_ anyone around to bother us."

I nodded again, forcing a smile onto my face although I didn't feel like smiling.

Leigh chuckled and leaned down, placing a small peck on the top of my head. Then as he continued to gaze into my eyes, he leaned down even more, moving his lips closer and closer to mine...

I moved so quickly that he didn't have the opportunity to fulfill his intention. I clasped my arms around him and gave him a quick tight squeeze, telling him thank you for the ride and that I'd talk to him later. Then before he could catch me, I broke away from him and ran over to the front door. I found it unlocked and dashed inside, closing it swiftly behind me. I rested my back against it and breathed deeply. After exhaling I moved over toward the window slowly and peeked around the curtains. Leigh was still standing there. He appeared to be in shock, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

I felt bad, but I just didn't know how to respond to him when he couldn't even talk to me about his relationship with her. I just know he's not telling me something...

"Well, look who just came back after spending the night with her _boyfriend_."

I turned around and found Samantha leaning against the door frame of the kitchen. She had her arms crossed and was smirking at me.

"So did you guys do it?"

I rolled my eyes and replied a flat, "No." I was hoping she'd accept that and just leave me alone, but it _was _Samantha_._ I should've known she'd just feed off of any of the details I gave her. I watched as her grin grew even more.

"Aww, you _poor_ thing!" she said in a mocking tone. She laughed before continuing. _"I guess he doesn't love you as much as you think he does." _

I shook my head at her conclusion and headed over toward the staircase.

"Of course he loves me," I told her, putting my foot on the first step. "And we haven't done anything yet because he respects me."

Samantha continued to laugh, placing a hand on her chest and nearly doubling over. She moved away from the door frame and closer to the stairs.

"_Seriously?! _You _seriously_ believe that?!" When I nodded my head she burst into an even worse fit of laughter, but nevertheless, tried to go on. "Well then what's with that other girl I always see around him? Hmm? The one with the silver hair?"

I froze. Was she talking about Rosalya?

"Hmm? No response? Well, it looked like _she_ was getting pretty cozy with him." She looked me up and down, degrading me with her eyes. "That girl is a LOT prettier than _you_. I don't blame him. Why settle for _this_ when he could have a MUCH more attractive girl on the side without you even knowing?"

Once again laughter filled the air. However, this time it was different. _I _was the one nearly doubling over now.

"_Obviously_ you don't know Leigh!" I burst, my hand on the railing. "He is the _sweetest_ guy and would _never_ do anything like that to hurt me."

Without another word I climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to my room. Samantha had remained in the living room busting a gut, and I could still hear her laughter as it echoed off of the walls. I shut my door to keep it from entering my room, and once alone in the silent solitude of my chamber I dragged myself over toward my bed and sat down on it. I slipped my shoes off before lifting my legs onto my bed so that I could lie down. I rested my head on a soft blue pillow and stared up at the ceiling, still wondering about Leigh.

Could he have been telling me the truth? Why would he lie? It _is_ possible that they had only been classmates...but if that were true then why is Rosalya all over him like this? Like she knows him...like he has hidden feelings for her... But that can't be true because he's in love with me...

The words I had just uttered to my sister rang in my ears again.

_"Obviously you don't know Leigh! He is the sweetest guy and would never do anything like that to hurt me."_

I rolled onto my side and buried my face in my pillow. I felt Leigh's shirt bunch up underneath me as I turned, but didn't do anything about it. I couldn't stop thinking about those words. They sounded reasonable enough...but I just couldn't figure it out.

Who was I really trying to convince with them? Her..._or me?_

**Lysander's POV:**

(THE NEXT DAY:)

The sun was out again. I guess the weather felt like it had to make it up to all of us after that incredible storm. The temperature was unusually warm on this morning and the ground was nearly dry. On top of that, Leigh was going to be at work all day today. It was the perfect day to enact my own plan. The one that had failed the other day, having been postponed due to the downpour Kallina and I had gotten unexpectedly caught in.

I had been planning on taking her somewhere special. Somewhere I was sure not even Leigh would have already taken her. It was going to be magical, and I just knew she was going to love it.

Due to the weather I had decided on wearing a vest rather than my typical long-sleeved attire. Otherwise I'm sure I would get quite uncomfortable as the day progressed, and I did not feel like getting sweaty in the presence of my future girlfriend.

My pace was quick as I strolled down the sidewalk in the direction of her house. I was becoming more and more anxious and getting more and more excited, believing today would be the day that Kallina would finally see me in a different light. A much _better_ light!

When I got to her house, I paused a moment before carefully crossing her lawn to the front door. I slowly made my way to the top step and knocked on it, swallowing nervously as I thought of what I would say to her when she answered.

After a few seconds I could hear the footsteps of lazy feet approaching the door. Once I heard the unseen person unlatch the lock, a smile formed on my face, preparing to greet the loveliest girl I knew. However, when the door had been pulled open, my giant grin began to fade. I had come face to face with not Kallina, but her sister.

"Oh," the tired girl grumbled, her eyes suddenly narrowing as she found me to be the one disturbing her precious morning peace. She crossed her arms in the doorway. "It's you. The _amazing_ band guy." She snickered and rolled her eyes as the sarcastic comment left her lips. "How's that _lovely_ friend of yours doing?"

I stared at her for a moment before realizing that she was talking about Castiel.

"Oh, he's...fine."

She stood firmly in her position, her eyes glaring at me with irritation.

"Is that so?" she snapped. "Well you can tell him to stop avoiding me then!" She stomped one of her feet on the ground, her hands forming into little fists. "He's being so rude! He's not even giving me a chance!"

I didn't know what to say to her. I knew that she had feelings for my red-haired pal, and I also knew that _he_ had absolutely _none_ for her whatsoever. This was just going to get awkward.

"Hah, I'll see what I can do," I replied uncertainly. I raised a hand and ran my fingers through my hair, turning my head and hoping that she wouldn't continue with the topic. But luckily for me, she didn't, and instead guessed at my purpose for being there to begin with.

"You here for Kallina?"

Her arms were still crossed as she continuously looked me up and down. When I nodded my head, she sighed and turned away from me, preparing to call up the stairs.

"KALLINA! YOUR _OTHER_ BOYFRIEND IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"

Her loud words painted my cheeks with a brush that had been dipped in a deep vermillion color. I could not believe she just said that! How's Kallina going to react?!

I buried my face in one of my hands, pretending to be rubbing my forehead, when really I was just trying to hide my embarrassment. I could hear Kallina making her way down the stairs and felt my face grow even warmer knowing that she had heard her sister clearly.

"Other boyfriend?" I heard her voice question from beyond the door. "What are you talking about?"

Samantha just nodded her head in my direction, a look of disgust plastered to her face. She then began to noisily walk away, muttering something about it not being fair that her sister could have two boyfriends while she couldn't have any, and then Kallina appeared around the corner of the door.

"Oh," she said upon seeing me. I could tell she had woken up not too long before my arrival. "Hey, Lysander."

I wanted to respond to her right away, but I couldn't. My jaw nearly dropped as she stood there in front of me. She was still in her pajamas, wearing shorts that were far too short to be worn in public and a small black tank top that revealed all of the soft skin that covered her slender arms and shoulders.

I get it now. _This_ is why we have dress codes in school. Hah! There is absolutely _no possible way_ I'd be able to concentrate in class if Kallina walked in wearing an outfit like that!

"Uhh, he-hey! Hi, Kallina! Heh, I-uh..." I just couldn't keep myself from babbling like an idiot while she stood there looking like that. She watched me with a confused grin and leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at my own as though she were trying to observe something.

"Are you feeling okay, Lysander?" she asked, taking another step in my direction. "You look a little warm. Do you have a fever or something?" She stepped out onto the front step and tried to place one of her hands on my forehead, but I quickly moved out of her reach. I already knew that my forehead was on fire. My whole face was on fire! But a fever wasn't the cause.

"No, no, I'm fine!" I quickly reassured her and tried to change the subject. "Umm, I was just wondering if you had any plans for the day..."

I tried to keep my eyes locked on hers, but every now and again they would slip down to her uncovered figure. Curse you, lustful thoughts!

"Oh, I don't think I do," she said, going over the day's agenda in her mind. "No, I've got no plans, at least until dinner that is." She crossed her arms in front of her and waited for me to reply.

"Oh! That's great!" I told her, my eyes moving from hers to my feet and back. "So, I was just wondering if you'd like to go to that place I was going to take you the other day?"

She smiled and nodded her head.

"Sure! I'd love to!" She looked back at the clock hanging on the wall in her living room and saw that it was approaching nine. "But would it be open now?"

I chuckled and nodded my head.

"Oh, yes, it's open."

She smiled again.

"Great!" she said, and took another step forward. "Are we gonna go now then?"

I took another step back, hoping that she would realize that she was still in her nightwear, and began to blush again.

"Well, yes," I said, my voice nearly cracking. "But, um...you sure you don't wanna, um, change first...?"

I kept my eyes on the ground while she looked down at her own attire, wondering why I would say something like that. She instantly flushed of all color, paralyzed in front of me as she noticed the lack of fabric covering her body. Then faster than the roadrunner himself, she flew up the stairs to her room, calling back at me and saying that she would return in just a minute. I guess she really hadn't realized it the entire time she had been standing before me...

I stood there for about two minutes and just as she promised, she returned, this time fully clothed. She called back into the house to her mother, telling her that she was going out for a while, and shut the door, speedily walking past me down the stairs and across her lawn to the sidewalk. As I tried to keep up with her she kept her head down, and I thought I had spied the apples of her cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red. Knowing that she was feeling humiliated, I deliberately kept my pace set to a few steps slower than her own, giving her time to return to her normal color.

"So, uh...where we going?" I heard her voice project softly as she walked in front of me. Thinking that she was finally overcoming the trauma of the experience she had just faced, I hurried my stride until I was by her side.

"That's a surprise," I told her with a smirk. "But you don't need to worry. I'm _sure_ you'll love it!"

She didn't look up at me, but nodded her head quietly.

"Okay."

We walked for another few minutes, her in silence and me making small talk with her about meaningless subjects. I was trying to make her feel more and more comfortable, but she didn't seem to be warming up to me again just yet.

"So, Castiel just kept singing, and he never even realized that they were the wrong lyrics until the audience began to laugh at him! It was the funniest performance we ever did. Even I was laughing _on stage_!"

I laughed as I remembered the experience, but when I looked over at Kallina, she still had her head down, not even a trace of amusement on her face. It seemed as though something else was on her mind, but I didn't pursue it, believing that it must still be the embarrassing moment we had shared just a short while ago. Instead I just sighed, looking up at the trees, nearly barren of their leaves. Their long pointy limbs seemed to direct us on our path as we moved down the sidewalk. Even _they_ were supporting my chances with the girl walking beside me, urging me to continue with my plan, whispering into my ear as a breeze rushed by, telling me that it would work, that I couldn't give up. Just the reassurance I needed.

While my eyes were still smiling up at my newest form of encouragement, a small voice rose up from beside me.

"Hey, Lysander..."

I turned, a little surprised, to the girl who had finally raised her head, even if it was just a few inches. I could barely see her eyes, but the expression on her visible lips made me feel like something was wrong.

"Yes?" I asked her gingerly.

There was a little pause before she went on, apparently unsure of how to begin the discussion of what had been occupying her mind. She took a deep breath and began to speak again, just as softly as before.

"Rosalya...really seems to like Leigh...a LOT..."

I glanced over at her, wondering where she was going with this. She still wouldn't look up at me.

"I asked Leigh about how they knew each other and about why she was always like this around him...but he wouldn't tell me. He completely avoided the subject..."

She slowly turned to me and raised her head so that I could finally see her eyes. They were filled with worry, and she began to bite her lip as she continued.

"I was just wondering if you knew..."

I stared down at her with a blank expression. I hated talking about Leigh.

"If I knew what?"

She continued to peer up into my eyes, the words pushing at her lips.

_"What their relationship is..."_

As we kept walking my pace began to slow. Those words...the doubt she was revealing to me...that uncertainty in her eyes... My mind was racing as my feet began to drag along the pavement. Mischievous thoughts entered my head, pounding at the walls and forcing me to accept them. The truth of the matter was obvious. Leigh wasn't telling her something. He wasn't telling her about his past. About how he met Rosalya. I smiled.

_I can use this to my advantage._

I stopped walking altogether, and waited for Kallina to do the same. She took a few more steps before turning back and looking at me.

"What?" she asked innocently.

As much as I didn't want to cause her pain, I knew that it would be the only way to pry her out of Leigh's arms. I gulped, and stared at her, wondering if I should really do this. I watched her carefully. The questioning look in her eyes, the now bleeding lip she had been biting, the evidence of hurt in her heart. She was already in pain. I decided I would proceed and try to elevate her misery to the next level in hopes that it would lead her one more step into my own arms. And one little lie should be all it takes...

"Are you _sure_ you really want to know?"

She thought about it for a moment and then slowly nodded her head.

"You know, you probably won't like it," I told her, watching as her eyebrows began to quiver. I pretended to be thinking and said, "Maybe I shouldn't tell you...maybe it'd be better if you just waited for Leigh to-"

"No!" she exclaimed with a shout. "He won't tell me...but I need to know! I don't understand why he won't just tell me the truth... He's always been so truthful before. What could be so bad that he couldn't tell me...?"

She lowered her gaze to the ground again, and I sighed audibly. I placed my hands on my hips.

"You _positive _you want to know? You can't say I didn't warn you."

When she nodded her head and looked up, I didn't get the opportunity to change my mind. My inner demon spoke for himself, grinning all the while.

_"They were former lovers."_

**Author's Note:**

**Lysander, you devil! Leave Leigh and Kallina alone! Goodness, I wonder what that little lie is going to do. I really hope she didn't believe it. ;) Hope ya liked this chapter, although this is the one that has the most depressing themes in it. But what is a real love story without some devastating turmoil? Fluff, that's what. Just fluff. ;P Please review! I love to read them, they let me know that my story is actually firing up emotion in people, whether it be happiness, anger, or despair... **

**"they say we can love who we trust, oooooooh, but what is love without lust? two hearts with accurate devotions, ooooooh, and what are feelings without emotions?" -La Roux**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Kallina's POV:**

I suddenly felt light headed as the words spun around in my brain, making me dizzy, and I had to close my eyes for a moment. Those four words... I had felt that he was going to say something along the lines of them, but was inwardly praying that I was just being too paranoid and that there wasn't really anything behind Leigh's unusual withdrawal.

_"They were former lovers."_

They were former lovers? Former _lovers?!_

It was like I had just been punched in the stomach, and although I had seen the blow coming at me in slow motion, the pain still exploded inside of me as though it had not been mere words that had caused the hurt but a grenade embedded into my heart.

I could feel Lysander's eyes on me as I tried to regain my inner composure, and forcing away the frown that attempted to reveal itself, I looked up at him.

"I-Is that so? I had no idea..." I said aloud, but unable to keep eye contact with him for very long I fixated my eyes on my feet.

I could tell that Rosalya was into Leigh. That was more obvious than an elephant hiding in a room full of mice. But _Leigh _had feelings for _her?_ That was just blowing my mind! I just couldn't wrap my head around the mere idea of it. _Leigh_ liked _her? HER?! _No...no, it just can't be...can it? I don't get it! Why didn't he tell me? Did he think I wouldn't understand if he just told me that they had had a thing for each other back before we were together? Sure it would've made me feel a little uncomfortable at first, just like whenever Rosalya is around now, but I would've understood! Why didn't he tell me?

I almost felt like crying, but to keep from showing my distraught in the presence of my friend I took a few deep breaths and bit my bottom lip again. We stood there for a solid amount of time before another word was spoken. I think Lysander could tell that his words had struck me hard. When I had glanced over at him again, he was rubbing the back of his neck with one of his hands, his eyebrows furrowed in a way as to offer an apology.

"I'm really sorry, Kallina," he began, reaching over to place his other hand on my shoulder. I nodded in response, but tried to avoid looking directly into his stare. I knew that if I did I was bound to lose control of myself, my fingers already trembling. Lysander seemed to notice, and without saying anything else slid his hand down to the small of my back and pulled me in for a hug. I stiffened at once, in shock at the sudden movement, but relaxed as the warmth of his embrace engulfed my body. "I'm really, _really _sorry."

Something in his voice seemed off as he spoke, but I had been too touched by his sympathetic gesture to truly care. I just pressed my head against his chest, burying my face into him and hoping that I wouldn't fall apart right then and there. I could hear him breathe out. He then wrapped his arms around me even tighter.

"I hate seeing you like this," he said softly, his breath against my hair. "I hate to see you hurting so much. It hurts me, too..." I could feel my fingers begin to tremble again, but tried to calm them by pressing them against Lysander's back. He rested his cheek on the top of my head and continued. "I can't believe Leigh would actually cause you such pain... I'm so sorry. Just don't think about it right now. I can't stand to see you like this. Please Kallina, just forget about it for now. Forget about Leigh..."

Those last words were faint on his lips but strong in my head. His soft voice rang with force, as though they were trying to shake some sort of understanding into me. Confused, I removed my dazed face from his chest and looked to his eyes for clarification.

"What do you mean?"

He gazed down at me with consolation in his eyes.

"I just meant that you shouldn't dwell on this right now. You should live in the moment." He gave a small sideways smirk and grabbed my wrist. "And at the moment you're with _me_ and are going to have some fun whether you like it or not!"

He started to pull me down the sidewalk, putting us back in motion as we continued on to our mysterious destination. We made our way down a few streets that had numerous shops and boutiques on them, and for a few minutes I believed that he had meant to take me to one of them, but to my surprise we passed them all and approached a much less developed road and began to walk down it. It seemed vaguely familiar as though I had trod it before, but I could not remember. As we moved along the side of the road, the forest on the edge began to become more dense, and slowly I became more and more sure that I had been there before, that I had indeed walked along that same sidewalk at some other point in time, but no amount of thought could provide me with the destination that lay in wait at the end of our journey. I just couldn't remember.

Lysander looked rather eager as he dragged me along in an unnecessary rush. I could see a small smile form on his lips and wished that I could be just as happy and excited as he was.

"We're almost there," he turned to assure me as my heels scraped against the pavement. "You're going to love it!"

In the next moment we had approached a big field, barren of all except a swing set, some benches, and patches of dying grass and fallen leaves. Lysander stopped walking once we had set foot into the empty meadow and turned to me with a big grin.

"Okay, we're almost there, but before I bring you, you have to close your eyes." I did as I was told and held one hand over both of my eyes. I could hear Lysander chuckle. "No peeking!"

He grabbed my wrist again and began to lead me forward. Despite my being blind, my feet stepped quickly but carefully over the ground, remembering the feel of it from the last time. Another moment passed and then we slowed our pace, our feet crushing the crisp fallen leaves beneath them. The sound was so familiar, so nostalgic. As we kept going I couldn't help but smile.

**Lysander's POV:**

This is it! My chance is finally here! I'm going to win her heart right here and now! There's no way she'll be able to forget this place. It'll be burned into her memory forever, burning with passion and love and hope and every other magical delight one can think of. Once its beauty infects her eyes, she'll see me in an entirely new light, and with any luck at all, realize that I was always the one that she was meant to be with from the very beginning.

I was so incredibly anxious, nervous as to how she would react but excited beyond what words could express. I looked back at her and was pleased to see that her hand was still hiding her eyes. On top of that, she was _smiling_! She must have been really looking forward to the surprise I had planned for her!

Soon we had reached the special area I had been longing to reveal to her, and turning to face her, gave her both of my hands and led her to the flat and steady surface of the moss-covered ground. I took a couple of steps back, my eyes still locked on her as she waited patiently for me to instruct her to uncover her eyes and I did just that, my palms tingling with suspense.

"Okay! Open your eyes!"

She removed her delicate hand and placed it down by her side as her eyes fluttered open, instantly growing wide as they took in the surrounding beauty. Her head appeared to make circular motions as she looked from one side of the forest clearing to the area above us to the other side of the clearing and back again. I could tell she really did love it all! I knew she would! I then turned my own head to take in the amazing view.

The trees, tall and dispersed at the perfect distances from one another, towered over us like powerful giants. The moss beneath our feet was soft and even more green and beautiful than an emerald diamond. The river just a short distance away was shining exceptionally bright today, and flowed peacefully along with orange and yellow leaves being carried off gently on its surface. It was perfect. Everything, everywhere. Perfect.

I looked up to where I believed Heaven would be and thanked God for enhancing every detail of the nature surrounding us. He obviously supported my being with Kallina, too. There was no way I was going to lose to Leigh now.

I turned back to Kallina and watched as she continued to let her own eyes wander around. It just couldn't have worked out any better. My whole plan was becoming a success right before my eyes.

"So what do you think?" I asked her, crossing my arms in satisfaction. She hadn't answered yet, but she didn't even need to. I already knew what she thought of it. It was clearly visible in her eyes. She looked around once more before meeting my gaze with her own and smiling.

"It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms as though she wanted to embrace everything all at once. "Absolutely incredible!"

I chuckled and brushed some of my silver hair out of my eyes in order to examine her expression some more.

"I knew you'd love it!" I told her excitedly. I extended my arms out on either side of me, matching her stance, and laughed.

She giggled as well, and I was glad to know that my brother was no longer on her mind. With her arms still hanging in the air, as if suspended by invisible strings, she began to twirl her way toward the bridge that stretched out over the river and raised her face toward the tops of the trees.

"Yeah," she began, laughing still. "It's exactly how I remember it! Actually, I think it's gotten even _more_ beautiful!"

Wait a second. What did she just say? My enormous grin began to fade as it dawned on me.

_Had she been here before?_

No. No, she couldn't have been. There's no way that Leigh would have brought her here already. This was _our_ secret spot. The spot we promised would be only ours and no one else's. No, she just couldn't have been here before... Please... Please, no...

She continued to twirl about without a care, and I just paused, considering what she had said. I lowered my arms back down and took an unsteady step toward her.

"W-What do you mean it's how you '_remember' _it?" I asked her cautiously, hoping that my hunch wasn't true. She looked over at me mid-twirl and spun once more to a stop.

"Your brother took me on a date here before." She sighed and looked over at the river. "This place never fails to amaze me. It's just so...there isn't even a word to describe it! It's too incredible!" She giggled and looked back at me.

"Oh."

She had been here before... Leigh _had_ taken her here...on a date, too...

At that moment I could feel a rage begin to swell up within me. I didn't even clench my fists this time. My anger was so far beyond that point that I didn't need to. Instead I smiled. I knew that my ire was becoming a larger threat by the second and needed to find relief before I exploded like a pipe bomb. I removed my cell phone from my pants pocket and flipped it open.

"Oh, Kallina, I forgot that I was supposed to call my, uh, grandmother a little while earlier. Do you mind if I go off for a second to-"

She smiled and waved her hand in the direction I was already heading.

"Of course! Go ahead! I'll be waiting on the bridge when you get back, okay?" I nodded my head at her and we both turned our back on each other, moving in opposite directions.

I walked briskly into the forest a little ways, at least until I was out of Kallina's earshot, and stopped behind a tree with a thick trunk. I held my phone up in front of me and began to violently attack the number pad as I dialed Rosalya's number. I then pressed it to my ear and waited impatiently for the girl to answer.

"Hello?"

"IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW."

"Lysander? Is that you? What are you talking about?"

"WE NEED TO SPLIT THEM UP. NOW. IT CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER." I tapped my foot against the bark of the tree as I leaned up against it, using everything I had to keep myself from punching it and breaking every bone in my hand.

"Did something happen? What did they do?! I swear, if she even thinks that-"

"NOTHING HAPPENED. THEY JUST NEED TO BE SPLIT UP. NOW."

"Well...we can do something soon. How's their relationship now? Do they seem even closer or something? Is that why you're so worried?"

I tried to calm myself down a little before answering, rubbing the temple of my head with my free hand.

"No. Actually, I think she's a bit upset with him. I told her a little lie earlier, hoping that she would buy it and I think she did."

"Well? What was it?"

"I told her that you and Leigh had been a couple before. I can't tell for sure, but I really think it got to her."

A brief pause came over the line before Rosalya responded.

"Is that so..."

"Yeah, but I think she may get over it soon. It appears as though she's not upset enough to break up with him or anything."

"Well," the girl began once again. "I guess we'll have to make sure that she _never_ gets over it." I could hear a faint humming on the other end of the line. "I believe my plan will work just fine."

"Well, we need to do it now! Whatever it is! It _has_ to be done now!" My temper was reheating as I remembered how my supposedly undefeatable plan had failed. "NOW!"

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you what...tomorrow at school we'll carry it out, but I'll need your help."

"Of course! Of course! Anything! What do you need me to do?!" I pushed myself off of the tree and waited for Rosalya to reply. Instead, I heard a little chuckle come from her end of the line.

"Heh, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Be ready!"

"Wait! Wha-"

*CLICK*

I sighed and brought the phone down from my ear. I guess she really wanted it to be a surprise...

I flipped my phone shut and shoved it back into my pocket. I began to think of what would happen tomorrow at school, hoping that Rosalya wasn't planning on physically harming Kallina in any way. I turned and began to walk back toward the clearing where she would be waiting, wondering all the while what Rosalya's plan was and what my role in it would be.

Tomorrow...hmm...

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize for not updating last week, but with the holidays and black friday and the mass amounts of homework my teachers love to give me I just didn't have the time. I'M SORRY! But here's chapter 20! I hope you all like it! **

**So tomorrow at school...what could possibly happen? :)**

**Thank you all for reading! Love you guys! :D**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Lysander's POV:**

I was tapping my fingers impatiently while I sat there waiting for something to happen. Anything to happen. It was already the last period of the school day and nothing had occurred at all. No fighting. No inappropriate pranks or hazing. No drama whatsoever. In fact, I haven't even _seen_ Rosalya today...

I brought one of my hands up toward my mouth and began to gently rub my bottom lip as I considered where she was. I remembered looking for her in the halls whenever we had to pass to our next classes, but no matter how much I searched, I had not been able to catch even the glimpse of her shining silver hair rush past me at any point. Maybe she wasn't here? No. She had to be here. She told me herself that the plan would be carried out today. Her plan that _could not fail._ No, she must be here. She has to be...

My eyes darted toward the clock. Two minutes left before the bell would ring. I let out a sigh and lowered my head down onto my desk, trying my best to calm my anxious nerves. I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. I was beginning to feel better, more relaxed, and turned my head slightly to peer over at Kallina through the strands of hair that had fallen into my eyes. She was sitting at her desk and leaning over to the one beside hers, chatting with Violette as she flipped through her friend's sketchbook. She stared in wide-eyed awe at the artwork before her, praising Violette and probably telling her something along the lines of how artistically challenged she herself was.

I continued to watch her without being noticed. My soon-to-be girlfriend. So beautiful. So modest. So oblivious.

After handing the sketchbook back to her friend, she noticed the clock and quickly began to gather her things, opening her bag and shoving her books into it. The bell rang as she was packing the last of her things, and waving goodbye to Violette, she stood up from her chair and slung her bag over her shoulder. She looked over in my direction and walked over with an amused grin on her face. She stopped beside my desk and bent down to look into my eyes. My head was still on my desk.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a little giggle. "You know the bell rang, right? This isn't the time to be spacing out!"

I slowly lifted my head up and stared back into her eyes. Her face was less than a foot away from my own. I began to stand up, still gazing at her. As I grabbed my bag I considered just how easy it would be for me to pull her in and kiss her right here and now. A surprise attack. But of course I wouldn't do that. That just wasn't me.

"Ready now?" she asked.

I nodded my head and then followed her steps as we made our way into the corridor. We started to walk down toward her locker when out of the corner of my eye I saw someone waving. I turned my head and saw a hand motioning toward me, beckoning me over toward it, the person it was attached to hidden around the corner. I stopped moving and just looked at it for a moment. When I turned back toward Kallina she was slowing her own pace and turning to look back into my eyes for an explanation as to my sudden halt.

"What's up?"

I tried to come up with some excuse, but couldn't manage to formulate a satisfactory one in my head. Instead I just gave a vague reply.

"I, uh, forgot to do something...so I'll just catch up with you at your locker in a minute, okay?"

I was hoping she'd buy it, praying that she wouldn't find my words suspicious at all, and luckily she didn't. She nodded her head in understanding and told me that she'd wait for me there. Then she began to go on her way down the hall again. As soon as her back was turned, I quickly dashed around the corner to where the mysterious figure had been hiding from view.

Just as I had expected...

"Where were you?! We were supposed to do something today! I don't know what exactly...but something! But now it's too late! It's the end of the day!" I growled at the girl standing before me, her arms crossed.

"I _had_ to stay out of the way for the day. That was part of the plan. I didn't want her to see me," Rosalya said with an expression of indifference. "When the time comes, I want it to all be too much for her." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, and I could tell even in the shadows of the corner that she was wearing a little more makeup than usual.

I eyed her carefully and then proceeded to ask her the one question I had been dying to know.

"So what _are_ we going to do exactly?"

She smiled mischievously, looking me straight in the eye.

"_You _don't have to worry about it."

She began to walk around me and down toward another hallway when I reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

"Woah, woah, woah. Time out. You're not even going to tell me?!" I asked her incredulously. "I thought you said I had some sort of role in this scheme of yours!"

She snickered at me and ripped her arm from my grasp.

"Of course you do sweetie," she said, still in her tantalizing manner. "Listen, all you have to do..."

I leaned in to be sure that I would catch every detail that she was about to say. I almost wanted to break out a notebook and pen to be positively certain that I wouldn't miss anything, but there was no time for that. I would just have to listen intently.

"Yes?"

She smiled again.

"All you have to do...is walk Kallina out the front door." She gave me a wink and then without another word she turned and walked away.

"Hey! W-wait a minute!" I called after her, but she had already disappeared around the corner of another hallway.

I couldn't believe that that was all I had to do. I just had to walk her out the door... This was part of her master plan? _Is she serious?_

Still perplexed, I began to head toward Kallina's locker, a dazed expression plastered to my face. I didn't know what was going on at all. I didn't like being kept in the dark like this...

Upon reaching her, I found her still fumbling with the books and papers in her locker. She looked over when she felt my presence and laughed while I eyed her curiously.

"Having trouble?" I asked her with a chuckle.

"No, no, I've...almost...got it..."

With one last push, she managed to close her locker, now stuffed to the max. She fell against it hard and began to pant as though she had just undergone a strenuous workout.

"Whew, glad that's over with!" she giggled after a few seconds. The rest of her books were in her arms and I just couldn't believe that the majority of her locker was already occupied by mounds of useless papers.

"Need any help with those?" I asked her, looking down at the stack in her arms. She shook her head with an appreciative smile.

"Nah, I'm all set, but thanks anyway. C'mon, I hate being one of the last ones out of-"

"OUT OF THE WAY!"

A flash of blonde curls stormed past Kallina and I, pushing us aside and causing Kallina to drop all of her textbooks. She let out a little gasp and quickly knelt down to recollect her belongings. The blonde girl had turned back to us for just a moment when she had realized that it was us and laughed.

"Wow, Kallina, you've been hanging out with _that _guy an awful lot, haven't you? Bored with your BOYFRIEND already?!" She laughed some more and then turned back to strut toward the front door. "I'll be sure to let him know!"

In the next instant she was gone, and Kallina and I were kneeling on the hard floor, gathering the scattered books. Within seconds they were all collected and placed into her bag, and standing once again, we looked at each other in both embarrassment and defeat.

"Sorry about that," Kallina sighed all at once. "I don't understand why she's always like that..."

"Don't even worry about it," I said reassuringly, placing an arm around her shoulder as I began to lead her toward the door. "What are siblings for? They're supposed to annoy you, to get on your nerves until you just wanna...kill them...right?"

I forced a small laugh and peered down at the girl beside me, finding a smile forming on her lips as she nodded her head in agreement.

"I suppose so."

She began to chuckle and as I watched her my gaze couldn't help but keep peeking down at her smile. It sparkled with a fresh coat of lip gloss, brighter than any diamond, and matched her eyes which twinkled like a million stars. It was beautiful, romantic, funny, adorable. Everything that could possibly be seen in the happiness of someone you love was evident there on her lips. It was the one thing I wanted to see more than anything else for the rest of my life.

We approached the front doors and I knew that as soon as we touched our hands against the cold steel of them that everything would change. Just past those doors was the key to my future happiness. The key to my and _Kallina's _future happiness. The key to destiny. It was all about to go down, and as I swallowed my apprehension, I raised my hands up and pushed open the doors. Everything from that moment on was a blur. All I could remember was the sunlight. The sunlight hitting Kallina's face and illuminating it like a spotlight. Illuminating her smile and magnifying it for all the world to see.

That was the last time I saw that smile.

**Leigh's POV:**

I don't even know how long I've been leaning against my car. It feels like it's been about an hour or so, but I think it's only been fifteen minutes. I know I had left the shop a little early to get here and prepare myself to see Kallina, but it's already the end of the school day and neither her _or Lysander_ has shown up. Where are they? I really hope he's not up to anything...

The sun was bright today but the air was a little nippy. I rubbed my arms while keeping them crossed over my chest and continued to stare at the doors. After a moment they opened and a blonde girl emerged. She strode across the pavement and quickly joined another blonde girl a little ways away. They appeared to be gossiping about something, but I couldn't care less. I darted my eyes back toward the doors. If my stare had been any more intense at that moment, I'm sure there would be a hole in that door right now.

Another minute went by and I couldn't help but sigh.

"Oh, Kallina...please..." I whispered to myself as I became more and more anxious about seeing her. I began to bite my nails as I remembered how things had ended the last time we saw each other. She seemed upset, and I know it's because I hadn't the courage to tell her about how I met Rosalya...I just didn't want to hurt her, but if in avoiding it altogether is doing just that, then I _need _to tell her...and I think I might be ready now. I had spent all night contemplating about it and now I believe that I can do this. I _have _to do this. My relationship with Kallina depends on it.

I lowered my worried hand from my lips and shoved it into my pocket, trying not to tremble. I straightened my back and lifted my head, ready to face Kallina and finally tell her the truth once she came out.

I began to tap my fingers on the sleeve of my jacket, slowly at first but picking up the pace as time crept onward. I rolled back the sleeve just slightly with my hand and glanced down at the old-looking watch that my grandfather had passed down to me back when I was about eleven. It was now two twenty-three. I can't take much more of this torture.

*BANG BANG BANG*

I turned sideways and rested my left arm on the top of my car as I searched for the source of the noise. There was a group of men on the opposite side of the street all wearing construction uniforms and each holding a different tool. They appeared to be working on the old building that the city hall used to occupy. It had gone unused for about a year after a fire had gotten the best of the left half of it. I guess the city was finally ready to revive the place.

A breeze came by and blew the long strands of my hair to one side of my face. I raised my hand off of my car and tried to brush them back into place, but my efforts were useless as an even stronger breeze rushed by. I looked up at the sky but spotted no clouds, only sun.

Hmm, that's funny. It's never usually _this_ windy while the sun is out. There must be a storm coming...

*BANG BANG BANG*

I looked back to the group of men, but none of them were really doing anything. They were just standing there and talking with one another. So...where was the noise coming from?

I scanned the area some more, but nothing seemed to jump out. The banging had stopped and everything had grown rather quiet. My eyes wandered back to the men. Still nothing. I was about to turn back and return my focus to the doors of the school when suddenly...

"ALRIGHT, LENNY! LET 'ER DOWN!"

I found the men all begin to look upward toward the roof of the building, and when I followed their gaze I found an old billboard. The frame of it appeared to be rusting and the picture was worn and yellow. I saw something begin to move on top of it and squinted my eyes to see it better. To my surprise a man was sitting there and holding the edge of a giant sheet. The sheet spread from one end of the billboard to the other, and after giving a visible thumbs up, the man outstretched his arms in front of him and released the sheet. It fell down to the base of the board, displaying a new and fresh image for our town to behold.

It was an advertisement for a movie that would be coming out in the winter. I looked up at it in interest. The tagline "Romance has taken a new twist" was curving around the pedals of a giant black rose. Beneath it was the title of the film: "The Kiss of Death". Although it appeared as though it was supposed to be a horror movie, I found it odd that the words _beneath_ the title struck me most ominous...

_"Coming Soon..."_

I shuddered and shoved my hand back into my pocket. How strange...

I shook off the uneasy feeling that had embedded itself inside of me and closed my eyes in wonder.

Maybe Kallina would like to see that with me when it comes out. Once we get past this whole cold-shoulder treatment...

I once again leaned my back up against my car, rolling my head from side to side as my anxiety began to bubble up again.

I really hope she forgives me. I should've been honest with her from the very beginning...

At that moment I heard a leaf crack beneath someone's nearly silent footstep as they approached me. Taken by surprise I lifted my head and opened my eyes. My heart sank immediately.

"Hey, Leigh! How are you today?" The silver-haired girl was swinging her arms back and forth like a little child and was wearing a sinister grin on her face. I sighed uncomfortably and aimed my eyes off into the distance, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"Go away."

From the corner of my eye I could tell that a frown was beginning to form now. She stopped swinging her arms and crossed them over her chest at my rude remark, but as determined as ever, she continued on in her "innocent" voice.

"Leeeeeeigh," she whined childishly. "Why do you want me to go away? I'm just trying to make some friendly conversation..." I looked back at her and saw a pout paired with puppy-dog eyes plastered to her face.

"There's no need for us to talk about anything together. I think it'd be best if you left right now." I tried not to look right into her eyes, but she was positioning herself in front of me in such a way that no matter where I looked she could manage to grab my attention. It was really annoying me.

"Fine," she finally said. "We don't need to talk, but I'm not moving from this spot until we do!" Then with a final "hmph!" she stomped one foot on the ground as though to tell me that she was serious.

And she was serious. We stood there for a good minute before I looked back at her. My eyes locked on her, though, when I noticed something unusual. _She wasn't staring at me. _Instead, she continuously watched the door, even more intensely than I had just a short while ago, and was rubbing her arms nervously.

I rolled my eyes and thought that this could be my chance to get rid of her. I just had to talk to her a little and then she would leave...at least that's what I hoped would happen.

"Ahem," I began, wishing that I didn't have to speak to the girl at all. "Are you waiting for someone?"

Rosalya snapped out of her trance-like stare and looked up at me.

"I...guess you could say that."

There was something in her smirk that made me feel uneasy again. I shrugged it off, however, and started to make my way around the car to the driver's side door. I could avoid her better from in there. As I moved, I turned my head back and spoke to her.

"Well, maybe you should wait for them closer to the school's door."

I saw her eyes grow wide at my words. She almost appeared...worried.

"W-wait! No, you can't leave yet!"

She chased after me and grabbed onto the back of my shirt. Out of surprise, I quickly turned and caused her to trip forward.

"Oh!"

My own eyes widened now and I sprung into action. Before she hit the ground, I quickly wrapped my arms around her and caught her.

"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed, my level of annoyance growing.

The girl looked up at me as if she herself were in shock.

"Y-you..." She tried to say something, but was unable to do so.

Giving up, she rolled her head to the side as though she had grown weak in my embrace and looked off into the distance as I tried to lift her back onto her feet. I couldn't stand being this close to her, let alone having to _touch _her! Then that's when it happened. Her dumbfounded mouth had suddenly transformed into a mischievous grin. She was staring in the direction of the school, and wondering what had caused her change in expression, I began to turn my head to look over my shoulder, only to be stopped by a pair of hands being pressed onto either side of my head.

"Oh, Leigh..." the girl snickered. "Have fun getting out of this one."

I looked into the girl's eyes. They were cold and predatory.

"What are you-"

I hadn't the chance to finish. Rosalya pulled my head down to meet hers and planted her lips on mine.

At that moment time was frozen. I couldn't do anything. Couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't release myself from the clutches of the demon latched onto my face... Everything was blank. Everything.

Slowly my mind returned to me and I became fully aware of what was happening. It had already been a good thirty seconds before she removed her lips from mine, sucking in deep breaths of air as she pulled herself back to her feet on her own. I remained paralyzed, only managing to look at the girl in front of me, flipping her hair in accomplishment.

"What did you do?" I accused softly, still in shock.

The girl just gave a huge smile and began to jump up and down excitedly, first raising her hands to her lips as though she couldn't find the words to say, and then wrapping her arms around my waist while I stood there like a statue.

"Oh, Leigh!" she burst out, a little too loudly. "I'm SO glad you've decided to take me back! I've been waiting for SO long, but I knew you'd never choose that skank over me! Nothing could ever compare to OUR love!"

She tightened her grip around me and nestled her head against my chest, practically purring with satisfaction. I didn't know what to do. I just couldn't move. Her kiss had poisoned me.

After another few seconds, I found myself able to move my head. The rest of my body was still paralyzed, but my head could move. My first reaction was to look down at the girl, cuddling up against my chest, but something else caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Some people were watching us.

I turned my head just slightly, trying to get a better look at them.

_That's when I saw her..._

She was standing beside my brother, wearing an expression I could not read. My brother looked just as surprised as I did, unable to break his stare away from the sight before him. They were both there..._and they had both seen it._

I looked into Kallina's eyes and saw nothing at first, but then her expression changed. I could read it now.

She was crying.

Lysander looked over at her and quickly put an arm around her, but she pushed him away, obviously hurt. Then placing a hand over her mouth and clutching onto her bag tightly with the other, she ran away.

Lysander remained standing there, unsure of what to do, and began to stare at the ground.

I turned back to Rosalya and found her still latched onto me. I glanced down at her, and then up toward the billboard, and then finally up toward the sky. A few clouds had begun to gather now.

"Rosalya..."

I could feel her eyes on me as they rolled up to meet my face. She didn't say anything, but I could tell that she was smiling. I kept looking up at the sky, way off into the distance, as though I were actually there and that only the shell of me was being held captive by the demonic girl. I felt like crying myself, remembering that look in Kallina's eyes, but I had gone completely numb.

_"Rosalya... What did you do?"_

**Author's Note:**

**Heh, heh...sorry :C I wanted to get this chapter out sooner, but my laptop's battery totally died and I needed to order a new one...so sorry. Buuuuut I hope this chapter is to your liking. Did ya see this coming? Huh? Did ya?! LOL I know some people thought that Rosalya and Lysander were gonna try to make Kallina jealous by going out or something, but uh, no, she's a bit more diabolical than that I'm afraid :P Haha...**

**Thank you guys so much for still continuing to read (even though I suck when it comes to getting things done on time), but you're all amazing! :D **

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Kallina's POV:**

My mind had gone blank. All I could see was blurry darkness. Everything had turned black. My ears had gone deaf as well, only allowing me to hear the sounds of my desperate footsteps beating the ground mercilessly as I continued running down the sidewalk. All I could feel was the painful pounding in my chest and all I could taste was salt. For all I knew I could've been drowning in the ocean, but deep down I knew that that was not the case. Drowning couldn't possibly hurt as much as _this_ did.

The pain stung me over and over. Ever since my eyes had rested on that fatal sight my heart had been suffering, and I couldn't do anything about it. There was absolutely nothing I could even fathom that could potentially make me feel better except for the idea that my eyes had played tricks on me, but of course, my mind was too heavy with darkness to believe anything but the sight itself.

I could feel tear after tear slide down my cheeks to the corners of my mouth. The taste of the salt they dragged with them was almost unbearable now. All I could see was him and her and the horrid act they had committed together before my very eyes. It was all too unbearable, but the thought kept haunting me and the agony kept building. I raised an arm and started to wipe my eyes with my sleeve, letting out a loud sob in the process.

How could he do that to me? How on earth could he _do such a thing?! _Was he really just using me that whole time? Did he really have his sights set on _Rosalya_ that whole time?! No...NO! What about the way he held me all of those times, and all those times he almost KISSED me?! Well, he never actually _did_ ever kiss me...but that was just because he was being a gentleman, right? It wasn't because...he just wanted _her_...right?

I brought my other arm up and began to rub them both over my red face. My sobs were becoming nearly uncontrollable now, and I wouldn't have been surprised if everyone around could hear me. I just wanted to run away and hide from everyone and everything.

I quickened my pace, advancing from a jog to a full sprint. At this point I didn't care who could see me. They could all watch me for all I cared. I just wanted to get away.

Everything began to move faster. The trees, the buildings, everything flew by me as I moved like the wind of a hurricane. I closed my eyes and it felt as though my feet weren't even touching the ground. I hadn't only felt like the wind, I _was_ the wind now, moving at ninety miles per hour with a chilling rain right on my heels. The clouds had gathered directly above my head. There wasn't any lightning or thunder, but the downpour was enough to depress any angel and crush any hope.

Lost in the blur I hadn't been watching where I was going and hadn't noticed the person exiting the brick building just a short distance in front of me. He hadn't seen me either, but just when we had become aware of one another...

*BAM*

The collision made the boy fall onto his back while my momentum sent me falling after him. We landed with a thud and my head banged against his chest. When I lifted my head to witness my unsuspecting victim's surprise I couldn't help but feel some _de-ja-vu..._

"K-Kallina?!"

I tried to avoid the boy's eyes, but his fiery red locks told me exactly who I was crushing beneath me.

"Castiel..." I said in as calm a manner as I could. I didn't know what else to say, and felt paralyzed, the rain having caught up to my jumbled thoughts. I lowered my head, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill once more. Castiel hadn't seemed to notice and began to grow angry.

"Hello?! Will you get off of me?!"

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I quickly mumbled a sorry, pushing myself off of him and to my feet. He scrambled to his feet in a huff and pointed an irritated finger at me.

"Seriously! You need to watch where you're going!"

"Sorry..." I muttered again, keeping my head down so that he wouldn't see all of the red streaks that lined my face.

"Sorry isn't enough!" he yelled at me, his fists clenched now. "You're the most oblivious person I know! If you don't start seeing what's in front of you now, you're only gonna end up getting yourself hurt!"

I nodded my head slowly, half listening to him and half lost in my own thoughts.

"And not only that!" he went on, waving his hands around in emphasis. "You'll end up hurting others too! People who are close to you, people who actually _care_ about you, Kallina! Do you understand what I'm saying?!"

When I didn't respond, he reached his hands out in front of him and placed them heavily on my shoulders as though he were going to shake me.

"_Do you understand?_"

I sniffled and rubbed my eyes again with one of my hands, still trying to hide my face. I closed my eyes tightly, but still I could see it. Both of them...with their arms wrapped around each other...and...

I couldn't hold them back anymore. A few tears slipped out and ran down my face, following the trails made by the others. I let out another audible sob, and felt the surprise pulse through Castiel's hands as he retracted them from my shoulders.

"Wha-?!" he exclaimed, unsure of why I was getting so emotional over it all.

He took a step back and crossed his arms, looking flustered himself. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then bent over a bit to look into my face. When he noticed how red and raw my face was his expression became much more concerned.

"Kallina...? Are you...okay?"

He reached a hand up to move a few stray strands of hair out of my face to see my eyes better, but I quickly turned, hoping he would just leave me alone. I really didn't want anyone to see me like this.

"Kallina...? What's wrong? I didn't mean to make you cry..." he said uncomfortably, now placing his hands into his pockets. He watched me uncertainly, and I could tell he was staring. His eyes quickly scanned me, and it wasn't until he said it had I noticed it myself.

"You scraped your leg again..."

I slowly turned my head back and looked down at the great gash on my leg. It looked just like the one I had gotten before except this time it was on the opposite leg.

Castiel sighed and knelt down in front of me, examining the wound.

"Well," he began, his arms crossed once again. "You must've gotten this when we hit the pavement." He then removed a black kerchief from his pocket and cautiously began to pat the wound gently. It stung relentlessly, but I just stood there unfazed by the pain. It couldn't compare to what I was feeling inside.

"Hmm," Castiel started, squinting his eyes at the gash. "We should probably get you inside so we can get this properly cleaned. Lysander knows where the first aid kit is, so I'll just give him a call."

He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial the number. As he held the phone up to his ear, I could feel my body stiffen in the silence like a statue. It was like the earth had truly decided to stand still for once. Everything began to grow foggy again, so I shut my eyes, waiting for some miracle to occur. I thought that maybe if I wished for it hard enough, just maybe things could go back to the way they were before. To the way it was when Leigh only held me and Rosalya was just a name.

I relaxed in my trance, only jumping once when Castiel had finally connected with his friend.

"Uh, yeah, hey Lysander. Quick question for you..." He glanced over at me and down at my scrape which had begun to soak through my pantleg, revealing a large oval-shaped stain of crimson. "Yeah, uh, where's that first aid kit kept in the club?" He reached a hand up and scratched the back of his head as he listened to his friend on the other end of the line. After another moment he sighed and looked over at me again. "Yeah, well, you see Kallina ran into me just now and sort of skinned the side of her leg again. So, uh..." Another brief silence graced my ears, but it didn't last long. Castiel closed his eyes and looked a little confused. "You're gonna come here? Well, I mean, I can just take care of her leg now. It's no big deal, but if you insist..." Another pause. "You're still at the school? Well, is Leigh there?" I froze at the mention of his name. I slowly came back to reality, fear and hurt filling my heart again. "Well, then just get a ride from him. Sure, we'll be waiting right-"

H-He's coming? Here?! NOW?! NO!

At that moment I snapped out of my trance completely, my eyes growing wide and my mouth running dry. Castiel peered over at me with a strange look. Obviously he had noticed the sudden change in my demeanor. He stopped right in the middle of saying something to Lysander and lowered the phone just a little from his ear.

"Kallina? Are you okay?"

He took a step toward me and that's when the wind caught me again. A sudden surge of energy pushed me forward and before I knew it I was running again at a full sprint. I could hear Castiel calling after me, but I just couldn't stop now. If I did, I would surely have to face Leigh, and that was one thing I could not bring myself to do just yet. I just couldn't bear to see him so soon after that...incident.

I ran until I reached home, and once I got there I opened the front door, cautiously looking around to see if anyone was there. To my relief no one was, and quickly swinging the door shut, I jogged up the stairs and down the hall to my room. I scrambled inside and locked the door and threw myself onto my bed, my bag slumping off of my shoulder and onto the floor. I laid there in the dark silence of my room, breathing in my solitude and really feeling it for the first time in a long time. I closed my eyes and the pain came back ten fold. That's when I really let it out. I cried into my pillow, muffling the deafening sobs, and just laid there in my agony for hours. I hadn't cried like that since my dog died a few years ago. I had hoped I'd never feel a pain as bad as that ever again, but to my dismay losing a loved one who actually loved you was not as bad as discovering that someone you thought had loved you actually didn't.

By the time I ran out of tears the clock read six o'clock. All sunlight was completely gone now, having sunk beneath the horizon, and all hope had gone with it. I was still lying on my bed, gazing off into the black nothingness of the night sky through the blinds of my window. I felt cold and my depression was just setting in. It wouldn't allow me to find even the littlest bit of light in the matter. I was a corpse, wishing for life but knowing deep down that nothing could ever bring me back. At this point, only a miracle could do something as powerful as that...but miracles are never offered to the dead.

*BZZZZZZ*

A buzzing broke through the silence, and caused me to make the first movement I had in hours. I turned my head and saw a faint light penetrating through the side pocket of my bag. The humming continued and I began to reach a weak hand down to retrieve the cell phone I knew was waiting for me. Removing it from the pouch, I squinted my tired eyes in the darkness at the brilliant screen before me. Someone was calling me...

_It was Leigh..._

I placed the phone beside me on the bed, refusing to accept his call and waiting for the constant stream of buzzing to cease. I just couldn't talk to him. I couldn't bear to see him now and I couldn't stand to hear his voice. I just couldn't... It was hurting me now just thinking of him. I needed time before I could actually face him again. I don't know how much time, but it doesn't even matter...

After another minute the buzzing stopped. The room grew quiet again and I tried to relax. I took a deep breath in but just when I was about to let it out, my cell phone began to hum again, terrorizing me with every vibration.

*BZZZZZZZ* *BZZZZZZZ*

It just wouldn't stop. I grabbed my pillow and held it over my ears for a bit, but that didn't help much. I could feel the vibrations, and just knowing that Leigh was the one making them was driving me insane. It needed to end. NOW!

I grabbed my phone off of the bed and ripped the back off of it, quickly removing the battery. Instantly the buzzing stopped and silence filled the air once again. I threw the pieces of my cell phone onto the floor beside my bed and buried my head back into my pillow. This time I was able to relax, a peaceful calm now surrounding me. I laid there, absorbing every second of the peace and closed my eyes again. I tried to think about happy things, like comedy films and beautiful rivers and cute little cafes, but each only brought me thoughts of Leigh.

Was I simply doomed? Must I live a life of misery from now on? Is there really no hope...?

My mind began to go blank again, and I invited the darkness in like a long-lost friend. I would invite in anything that would make me forget about Leigh, even if it was just for a minute. And right now darkness was all that was offered.

With my hands by my sides, I stayed there for the rest of the night, drifting lifelessly somewhere between the darkness of my reality and the darkness of sleep.

**Author's Note:**

**So, yeah... I know this chapter is kind of, uh, depressing and all, but you know... Happens? PLEASE DON'T GET TOO DEPRESSED! There are good things to come, let me assure you! If you do not feel assured by my words, then...well...I diagnose that you have trust issues...especially since I'm the one writing the story...I should know what happens...**_**SHOULD...**_**but then again I had no idea what I was going to write in this chapter until I started writing it. Making things up on the spot is difficult, I advise you all to plan ahead. Like picnics and stuff. If you don't plan your picnic you may forget the mustard and then the whole world would crumble to pieces...seriously _ **

**(Also: to Dancer2234: I don't know if the game ever specifies how old Leigh and Lysander actually are, but in my story I'm assuming that Lysander is 17 and Leigh is 19)**

**PLEASE REVIEW MES AMIES! :D**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Lysander's POV:**

Another Tuesday morning. The sun was already streaming through my window and illuminating the room. I couldn't fall back asleep if I had wanted to. No matter how tightly I closed my eyes, the bright rays found their way through my lids. It was certainly one of the most effective wakeup methods, right up there with a pitcher of ice cold water. At least this one was the more peaceful of the two.

I had been staring at my ceiling for the past half hour. I was lying on my back, my head being supported by nothing but the mattress. I knew that my pillow was on the floor beside my bed. It usually ended up there by the morning with all of the squirming I did in my sleep. I turned my head and peered into the glass of my alarm clock. It was 8:50, but I had no reason to worry about being late for school. There had been a sudden cancelation of it last night due to the high chances of an impending snow storm at some point this morning.

I breathed in and closed my eyes, feeling a content sigh leave my lips. The feeling of air filling my lungs was like an entirely new sensation. I was alive, and knowing that Kallina had been freed from the clutches of Leigh was making me feel even more ecstatic.

I began to sit up and remove the covers from my legs, turning my head toward the door and rubbing one of my eyes in curiosity.

Now that I think about it, I wonder how Leigh is doing with Kallina being so upset with him and all. I haven't heard a word from him since yesterday. He _has_ to be depressed...or fuming...or both.

I slid my feet onto the floor and stood up, stretching my arms way up overtop my head and letting out a loud yawn.

I know he probably figures I was involved in the whole incident, but really, I didn't do much. It was all Rosalya. In fact, I didn't really have a role in it at all! 'Walk her out the door'? I do that every day!

I walked over to my bureau and removed a black T-shirt from the third drawer down, and pulling it over my head, I made my way over to my bedroom door. I turned the knob and pulled it open, cautiously looking around first before stepping out into what I knew could possibly become a war zone in the blink of an eye. It all depended on Leigh's mood, and I knew that he certainly wasn't a morning person...

I took a slow step out into the hallway and listened for a few moments. Nothing. Either he wasn't here or he was still up in his room, trying to make sense of the situation. I took another step out and stopped. OR he was hiding somewhere and waiting for me to leave my room so that he could murder me. He may be a dropout, but I knew he was certainly smart enough to make it look like it had been an accident...

"Leigh..?" I whispered audibly enough for anyone standing nearby to hear.

There was no reply, but I was skeptical. I gently closed my door and began to slide my feet across the floor, moving down the hallway toward the living room as quietly as I possibly could. I looked around the corner and found no one in sight. With my back against the wall, I made my way into the dimly lit room. The curtains were still drawn and casted thin lines of light onto the floor and opposite wall. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful, and yet the tension in the air was suffocating.

"Leigh?" I repeated in a slightly louder manner. Still there was nothing.

I guess he really isn't here.

I looked up the staircase and found it empty.

I wonder if he's still here. If he is, he must still be locked up in his room. I guess I can't really blame the guy. If I had ever done something to make Kallina look at me the same way she had at him I'd probably feel the same way.

Feeling slightly more at ease, I walked into the kitchen to make some breakfast. I headed for the counter and grabbed the loaf of bread waiting for me in the corner. I untwisted the piece of plastic binding it and removed two slices from the bag. Then sliding over a few feet to the toaster, I stuck the slices in and pushed the lever down to begin the toasting process. Knowing that it would take a minute, I made my way over to the fridge in search of some butter and grape jelly. The butter was sitting right there on the top shelf, but much to my dismay I could not find the jelly. It was not in its usual spot, so I began to move things around in the fridge to try an find it.

*RATTLE* *CLANK*

There were so many jars of things on the second shelf, I couldn't help but shake my head. I didn't even know what half of them were! "Maginger's Sauce", "Aunt Nipsy's Slaw", "Ground Brotula"... 'Brotula'? What on earth is a 'Brotula'?! Giving up on my search, I took the butter and shut the door.

I placed the stick of butter on the counter and went to find a paper plate, returning within a moment to wait in front of the toaster.

*POP*

I jumped at the sound. I always did. It never failed to surprise me even when I knew it was coming.

I grabbed the toast quickly and placed them on my plate, and then finding myself a knife, I started spreading the butter all over the slices. I was getting more and more hungry as the smell of the food before me wafted into my nostrils. I didn't even bother to put anything away, I just darted to the table with my plate and began to dig in, being sure that a napkin or two were nearby for when I finished.

I took my first bite and was instantly in heaven. Granted, I would have been in a higher heaven had there been jelly, but nevertheless I was satisfied. I continued to indulge in the meal and as I did so, everything around me began to grow more and more insignificant until it felt as though nothing was even there. I suppose this is why I hadn't heard the footsteps on the stairs...

I was about to take another bite when I saw him walk in. I froze, the slice of toast still being held in my hand only inches away from my mouth. I remained as still as I possibly could, but didn't know why. Perhaps it was because I felt as though I were in the presence of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and hoped that my lack of movement meant he couldn't see me, but of course, I was only kidding myself. I slowly brought the toast to my lips and began to nibble on it once again.

Leigh had looked at me only once since his entrance into the room, and remained silent as he searched for his keys on the counter. He looked extremely tired, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a dirty T-shirt, an outfit quite unlike his usual attire. He ran a hand through his dark greasy hair, and finding his keys beside the sink, snatched them up hastily. He must've skipped his shower this morning, but didn't seem to care. He then walked up to the table and grabbed his jacket off of one of the chairs, putting it on in his usual manner. I could tell he was about to leave, and gathering as much courage as I could I tried to break the ice between us.

"Uh, Leigh..?"

He didn't say anything and didn't even bother to look over at me. I tried again, just wanting to know what his level of anger toward me was. I needed to know if I would have to go to bed for the next week sleeping with my eyes open.

"Leigh? W-where are you going?" I couldn't help but stutter. To my surprise he answered me this time.

"I'm going to talk to Kallina," he said bluntly, still avoiding eye contact with me. He began to work on the buttons of his jacket. There was a painful silence following his words, but I wasn't about to let it linger.

"So...do you really think she's going to take you back?"

At this Leigh looked up from what he was doing and began to glare at me.

"We haven't broken up, Lysander," he hissed my name, dropping his eyes back to his work. "I just need to explain what had happened. Kallina's a very understanding person, so there's nothing I need to worry about."

Those last words rolled off of his tongue with a hint of uncertainty in them. Catching onto his inner doubt, I found myself thinking that it could be rather beneficial for him to have entered such a mentality. Although I found myself stuck with a slight frown plastered onto my face, on the inside a little smirk was beginning to form.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I could feel my inner demon strumming my vocal cords as I spoke. "She seemed pretty mad. I mean, has she even tried to contact you yet?"

I could see the pang of hurt from my words affecting my brother. He placed a hand on the table and leaned over it as though he had just been shot through the heart.

"No," he replied solemnly. "She hasn't, and that's exactly why I have to go see her now."

Without another word he lifted his head and walked briskly over to the front door, his keys locked in a firm grip. He opened it in one swift motion and slammed it in another. I couldn't resist smiling at his obvious insecurity.

I tossed the last bite of toast into my mouth and got up from my seat, taking the butter-stained plate over to the trash bin and dropping it in. I rinsed my hands in the sink and dried them on a towel nearby. Then I walked back down the hall to my room and swung the door open. I strode over to my bed and laid down on it once again, the smile still spread across my face. Things were playing out just fine.

After a minute my cell phone began to buzz and I quickly snatched it up off of my nightstand. Without even looking at the name on the screen I pressed a button and held the phone up to my ear.

"Hel-"

"DUDE, IS IT TRUE?!"

The volume of the familiar voice made me jump and drop my phone onto my bed, but I quickly picked it up and answered with my confusion.

"Castiel? What are you talking about? Is what true?"

"You and Kallina! Are you guys going out now?!"

"What? No, we're not. Where did you hear that?!"

"I bumped into Rosalya earlier and she practically bombarded me with all these weird questions about you two. She kept asking me if you two had hooked up yet and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but she told me that your brother and her had broken up and that now you two were gonna be a thing. So I had to call you, dude! I needed to say congrats!"

I shook my head with an amused sigh at my friend's excited rant.

"Hah, thanks Castiel, but we're not together. Her and Leigh haven't even broken up yet! But I believe that'll happen soon enough..."

"Well, I'm really happy for you, dude. Your chance had finally come!"

I grinned and replied with a simple, "Yeah."

"Well, I have to get going, man, but you better keep me updated! I don't wanna have to learn all of this stuff by bumping into little Miss Mischief again!"

I laughed and agreed to his request, telling him that as soon as something new happened I would call him. He seemed satisfied and with one last expression of congratulations, he hung up. I placed my phone down on the covers in front of me, but found myself picking it up once more when the screen lit up with a text message. I looked at the number this time. It was from Rosalya.

It read: _"I don't know if you two are together yet or not, but you better not let my work go to waste. Make sure that when she cries it's YOUR shoulder she's crying on!"_

I shook my head again and let out a little chuckle.

Don't worry Rosalya. I won't let you down.

**Leigh's POV:**

I stared at the front door of Kallina's house as I sat in my car deciding how to approach the situation. I knew I had to go and talk to her, but there were just so many possible outcomes that could result, and all but the one in which she forgives me were making me feel nauseous. Most importantly, I knew that one of two things would happen for certain. It was either going to end in an emotional embrace or a door being slammed in my face. As I pushed open the door of my car and began to take slow anxious steps toward the porch all I could do was pray that the latter would not occur.

With much effort I brought myself up the steps and came face to face with the piece of wood keeping me from seeing the most precious person in my life. Then raising a shaky hand, I knocked on it and waited patiently for someone to answer. After a few moments, I heard a voice call out.

"Coming!"

It was not Kallina's voice, but while my head was registering the face of the individual to whom it belonged, the door opened and I found myself standing before the warm smile of her mother.

"Oh, hello!" she exclaimed instantly, giggling while she eyed me. "You're Kallina's boyfriend, correct? I'm sorry, it seems as though I've forgotten your name! Oh, wait! It begins with an 'L' right? Wait, I think it's coming back to me! What was it now? Luke? Liam..?"

"Leigh," I told her to save myself from hearing an endless list of boy names that began with the letter.

"Oh, yes! Leigh! That's what it was! Haha!" She continued to giggle as I brought up a hand to scratch the side of my neck awkwardly. "So, Leigh, what brings you here?"

"I would like to see Kallina if she is here," I responded, trying to skip to the chase.

Her smile then faded into a little frown.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, but she isn't here right now. She just went out with one of her friends. A cute classmate of hers named...oh...what was it again? It begins with a 'V'... Victoria? No... Viola? No... And she _just_ told me...um... Viole-yes! Violette! That's what it was! Violette!" She clapped her hands in accomplishment. "Yes, they just left about ten minutes before you got here."

_She isn't here._

"Where did they go?" I asked her softly, gripping onto the sleeve of my jacket with my right hand and tilting my head slightly toward the ground.

"I think they said that they were going to go downtown for the day and visit the shops. Why? Did you need to talk to her?"

Unable to form any words with all of the dismay filling my heart, I slowly nodded my head, my eyes fixating on the doormat. Then when I looked up again, I found her digging through a pocket in her skirt as though in search of something. Alas, she pulled out a small slip of paper and upon confirming that it was the piece she wanted, handed it to me. Confused, I reached for her hand and took the slip into my own, and when I gazed down at it I realized that it had an unfamiliar phone number scrawled onto it.

"Kallina insisted on leaving her phone here for the day, so in case of an emergency she gave me her friend's number. If you really need to contact her, use this. I already copied it down in the kitchen, so you can have this one."

I thanked her and we exchanged our farewells, and as I walked back in the direction of my car I shoved the slip into my pocket. I knew I'd feel really awkward calling a stranger's phone, so I decided that I would use this approach only as a last resort. For now, I was just going to have to drive downtown and hope that I spot her window-shopping with a great big smile spread across her beautiful face. With that optimistic thought in mind, I got in the driver's seat and started the engine.

(TEN HOURS LATER):

It was 7:24, uh, make that 7:25 PM. The sun had set about two hours ago, and as gorgeous as it was, I could not enjoy it for a second. I had been unsuccessful in finding her, and as I stood at the gas pump filling my car with one last gallon, I wiped my tired red eyes and then shoved my hand back down deep into my pocket. My nose was beginning to turn red as well. It was freezing outside although no snow had fallen like the weather report had predicted, and the coat I was wearing wasn't keeping me as warm as I had thought it would. I could see my breath as I breathed out, and taking in the cold air over and over was beginning to bring pain to my lungs. It almost matched the hurt I was feeling after a whole day of failure.

I drove everywhere, and when I say everywhere, I mean _everywhere_. I drove down every damned street and looked in every damned store. She wasn't in any of them. She wasn't _anywhere!_ I had searched and searched, asking strangers on the sidewalk if they had seen her and repeatedly being told 'sorry' with a simple shrug of the shoulders. I had searched and searched, walking through the darkest parts of the forest and hoping to find her sitting on a flat rock or standing on the bridge and gazing down at the sparkling water, but of course she wasn't there either. I had searched and searched, skipping every meal and not taking even a fraction of a moment to rest. I searched until my sight had become blurry with the hot tears that still to this moment were being built up behind my eyes, but it didn't change a thing. I could not find her.

I rubbed my stinging eyes once more and replaced the pump. I walked over to the driver's side door and opened it, quickly slumping myself into the seat, and closing the door tightly, I was relieved to find myself once again embraced by the warmth of my car's interior. I rubbed my icy hands together and held them up to my lips to breathe more heat into them, and then I started up the engine once again.

I didn't know what I was going to do next. Should I keep searching? I haven't been able to find her all day, so what hope did the night bring? She could be back home by now, but just as true as that may be, she could also still be hanging out with her friend somewhere. Maybe I should just go home? I really didn't know what to do.

I leaned back in my seat and let out a sad sigh as I raised both of my hands up to my face. The hum of the car's engine was all I could hear. It was beckoning me to leave, to drive and go far away, and for a moment I was tempted, but deciding that it would be best for me to just go home, I placed my hand on the gear shift and put it into drive. With my hands firmly gripping the wheel, I was ready to leave, but something kept me from stepping on the gas pedal. I don't know what it was, but I stared out the windshield blankly. I felt like crap, and knowing that Kallina still didn't know the truth was dragging my peaceful soul into a black abyss. I needed to talk to her, and it had to be tonight.

I shifted the gear back into its parked position and sat in the dark silence of the deserted gas station contemplating on what I should do. I knew that calling her cell phone would be pointless. If she was home, she certainly wouldn't answer my call, and if she was still out with her friend, well, she didn't even have her phone on her.

Wait a minute!

That's when I remembered the slip of paper. Without a second to spare, I dug through my pocket and retrieved the number, bringing out my cell phone as well and flipping it open.

I need to call this number! It's my only chance to talk to Kallina right now, and I will NOT pass up this opportunity to make things right again!

I began to dial the number and then, pressing the little green button in the right corner, I brought the phone to my ear and waited for someone to answer.

After a minute I heard a click and then was greeted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Um, hello?"

"Oh! Uh, hi," I started, rubbing a sweaty palm along the seam of my pants. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was trying to get into contact with Kallina. I-Is she there by chance?"

I ran my hand through my hair and my foot began to tap impatiently. I just felt so fidgety as I waited for the reply.

"Oh, um, yes she is. Hold on one moment, I'll get her."

I heard some shuffling on the other end of the line and could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I listened for her voice. I was getting so nervous, and now my fingers were tapping on the steering wheel as well. I closed my eyes and prayed with all of my might.

_Please Lord, just let her understand...just let her listen to what I have to say...please..._

I opened my eyes when I heard someone's voice in the distance. They were growing nearer and nearer and then after another couple of seconds...

"Hello?"

My heart just about stopped altogether at the sound of her angelic voice. It was the first time I had heard it in two days, and I could feel the pressure behind my eyes begin to press even harder now, threatening to pour out tears of joy.

_My Kallina..._

"Um...hello?"

Oh no! I finally had the chance to speak with her but had no idea of what to say or how to begin. Nevertheless, in a burst of desperation I made haste to say something.

"Please, Kallina! Please let me explain!" I cried out, all of my emotions spilling at once. "Please!"

I heard a sigh on the other end of the line and knew instantly that she had realized who she was speaking to.

"How did you get this number, Leigh?"

"I can explain that later, but right now I really need you to hear me out! Please, Kallina!"

"Leigh, I really don't want to hear it right now..."

"No! I have to tell you what really happened! What you saw, it wasn't-!"

"I saw what I saw and it can never be changed, Leigh."

She was blunt but I could hear the hurt in her voice as she spoke to me. I could almost feel the very pain I had caused her emanating from my cell phone. It was so strong it made me want to cry again, but I tried my best to pull myself together.

"Yes, you saw that, but it wasn't-!"

"I don't want to hear this."

"But you have to! Rosalya! She-!"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!"

There was a short pause in which I could hear sobs growing more and more loud on the other end of the line. She was crying again. _I had made her cry again..._

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW IT FELT TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" she cried through the words, her voice shaking with both rage and sorrow. "TO SEE THE PERSON YOU CARE ABOUT THE MOST DOING SOMETHING LIKE _THAT_ WITH SOMEONE _OTHER THAN YOU?! _DO YOU EVEN _KNOW_ HOW MUCH I CRIED LAST NIGHT?!" More heaving breaths could be heard as she vented.

A heart-wrenching silence filled the air following her exclamation. It lasted about a minute before she finally spoke again. She had finally managed to calm down a little.

"I'm just so sick of feeling this way..."

I couldn't even find the words to say. My own heart was breaking as I listened to her.

"Kallina, I-"

"Listen, Leigh. I just need some time to think things through..."

There was another agonizing pause followed by distressed sigh.

_"I think we should take a break."_

My eyes widened at the words and I suddenly grew short of breath. It felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach, as though all of the air in the world was being vacuumed away somewhere, as though I were suffocating.

"No... Please Kallina...no..." I heard my voice crack as a fresh tear broke through and traced the edge of my cheek down to my chin.

"It's for the best, Leigh. I really need some time away from you..."

"...No... Kallina, please!"

"I'm sorry."

Without another word she hung up, her troubled voice being substituted by a dial tone.

No... Please, God, no!

The phone dropped from my fingers onto my lap, my hand frozen in the air. I couldn't believe what had just happened, and I just sat there vacant-mindedly as I tried to piece it together. My eyes were staring out the windshield but all I could see was black. I couldn't see anything. All I could hear was her voice...those excruciating words...

_I think we should take a break...I think we should take a break...I think we should take a break..._

When it finally hit me, it hit me hard. I could feel my face begin to scrunch up just as the dam behind my eyes burst, and all at once the tears poured out, cascading down my cheeks like a waterfall. I began to cry, my eyes stinging even more than before as sob after aching sob left my lips. I wasn't just crying now, I was full-out weeping. I grabbed for the steering wheel and clasped onto it tightly for support, lest I should collapse right there in my seat, unable to move or breathe.

"Oh, Kallina...why? Why did this have to happen?"

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears, but my effort was futile. I was a hopeless mess. I leant forward and rested my head on the steering wheel, wishing that things had not turned out the way they had, that none of this had ever happened...

I stayed there for another hour as I was not fit to drive at the time. So with my head and hands on the wheel, tearful eyes, and my breath slowing as my mind grew foggy, I sat there in torment, sitting in my car outside of the abandoned gas station on a weary snowless night, trying to picture Kallina's smiling face, but of course, I could not do so.

**Author's Note:**

**Heh, heh, hey what's up..? Did you like the chapter? What? You didn't like it? Too depressing?! PSH, what're you talking about? ...okay, so maybe it's a teensy weensy bit sad, but stuff like this has to go down before they can find true happiness, okay?! ...ok**

**I'm really glad you guys are still reading it, and liking it on top of that! It means a lot to me to see all of the nice reviews :)**

**P.S. Now you should go listen to the songs "She Wouldn't Be Gone" by Blake Shelton and "Here Comes Goodbye" by Rascal Flatts, two songs that kinda suit what was going on here...so go. Right now! Onto Youtube! Look 'em up and feel free to cry...or don't...that's okay too.**

**P.S.2. If any of you have questions or wanna know anything, just write it in a review and I'll try to answer it in the next chapter's A/N, kay? **

**P.S.3 A 'Brotula' is a type of fish :D**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


	24. Chapter 24

**(Okay, so it's been forever, I know, so just saying, if you've forgotten how the plot has been evolving you may want to reread a chapter or two to remember the details...just a suggestion :P)**

**Chapter 24**

**Lysander's POV:**

It was getting really late. I hadn't seen Leigh for hours and I had had the entire house to myself for the day. I had tried to call Kallina a few times, but her cell phone consistently told me that she was 'unavailable to take this call'. I knew that she had probably turned her phone off in an attempt to avoid Leigh, and much to my dismay, I knew that all of this was going to be affecting me as well. So I reluctantly spent the day watching the news and writing a paper for my Biology class.

Now the house was silent. The television was off and I was sitting in a chair beside a dim lamp, trying to focus on a novel I had wanted to read for a while, but unable to as my mind continued to wonder about my brother's efforts in mending his relationship with Kallina.

Had he actually found her? Did he talk to her and clear everything up? With his power of reasoning I knew that there could certainly be a chance of her believing him and accepting him into her warm embrace once again. The very thought frazzled my head and caused me to tighten my grip on the pages of my book. I tried to relax myself and allowed my head to rest on the back of the chair, gently dropping the book into my lap and placing my hands on either arm of my seat.

"No matter what," I softly whispered to myself as I closed my eyes, "I will _not _let Leigh have her."

After a moment I opened my eyes. I could hear a car approaching. Then a luminescent line from a pair of headlights scanned the walls opposite the windows before slowing to a halt. It remained there for another second or two and then, just as quickly as it had swept the room, it had disappeared. The hum of the engine had silenced and I could hear the slamming of a car door.

I sat up straight and folded my arms across my body as I waited for all of my answers to unlock the door and stumble in, hopefully in low spirits. As I slipped my novel into the space between the chair and its cushion, I heard him fumbling with his keys on the dark porch. He had finally found the right one and pushed it into the lock. He quickly entered the room and shut the door behind him. I turned my head in his direction and could feel a grin building behind my fixed frown.

_He had been crying._ His eyes were red and he looked so tired. So far, so good.

"So," I started before he could say anything, although he really didn't look as though he wanted to talk at all. "Did you get to talk to Kallina?"

Before I even had the chance to stand up, my answer ran up the stairs and down the hall to his room, slamming it behind him. I couldn't keep it in any longer. A huge grin slipped onto my lips.

"I guess not," I whispered to myself.

I made my way over to the stairs and headed up them, following my brother's steps to the door of his room. I silently placed an ear against the door and listened.

Sobbing. Deep, despairing sobs hummed their way through the wood. The sweetest sounds.

Content, I moved away from the entrance of his room and stealthily made my way back down the stairs to my own room. I would sleep well tonight.

**(THE NEXT DAY:)**

**Leigh's POV:**

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-THUD*

I struck my hand down on my alarm clock for the umpteenth time this morning, but instead of hitting the snooze button again, I disabled it. Turning my head slightly I found that it was already twelve. Noon. And I was still in bed. I had to get up, and I knew it, but I just didn't want to. I didn't want to have to go out and face the world. Not today. Not ever again.

But I had to.

I slowly slid out from under my covers and placed my feet on the ground beside my bed. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity before I had finally mustered up the strength to stand. I had never felt so weak. Nevertheless I managed to move one foot in front of the other and make it over to my door. I unlocked it and then began to make my journey down the hall, slowly, silently, dragging my lifeless corpse to the bathroom. Each step felt more depressing than the last. My eyes were glazed over from the previous night's episode. I was like a zombie. I wasn't alive. Just moving. A fixed action I could not control. And I didn't care.

Upon reaching my destination I walked inside and closed the door. I immediately turned the knob in the shower stall to its 'on' position and then stripped of yesterday's clothing. It had been hanging on my body for the first time in a wrinkled state. It wasn't right, and I needed to get it off.

Now standing free, I moved lethargically to the mirror and stood before it, staring back at a man who had lost everything and just didn't care. It was pathetic. _He _was pathetic.

_I am pathetic._

_"Why?" _I asked him finally, my voice even more quiet than a whisper. _"Why are you losing all hope? What happened to you?"_

He didn't respond. I continued to lock eyes with the pitiful being standing before me until I could no longer see him. The steam from the shower had swallowed him up and erased him from sight. He was gone...but I could still feel his presence within me.

I stepped into the tub and was instantly drenched as the hot water from the shower head cascaded down upon me. I stood there in a trance, my arms hanging by my sides and my head hanging low in the water. After a while the water began to get cold, but only when it was did I actually wash myself. In the next minute I had already turned the faucet off and was heading back to my room, a towel wrapped around my waist.

It was almost one now. I had to go to work.

I threw on the first thing I saw in my dresser, not even caring that it didn't match. A blue shirt, a brown vest, and purple slacks. I just didn't care.

I walked back out of my room and down the stairs to the living room. Someone had pushed the curtains aside at some point earlier this morning. Light was streaming into the room as though someone were pointing one of those spotlights the police use right at our living room windows. I didn't even bother to shield my eyes and continued to drag my feet over the floor until I reached the doormat where a pair of black shoes sat waiting for me. I slipped into them, grabbed my keys off of the table and slumped out the door.

I left with an empty stomach and without a jacket. My hair was still wet.

I just didn't care.

**Kallina's POV:**

I had decided to spend the night at Violette's. After the call I had received from Leigh, I just couldn't go home yet. I knew if I did I would have to face my mother's questions about my tear-streaked face...and there would also be a much higher chance of seeing Leigh.

That couldn't happen. Not yet. I wasn't ready.

When we woke up the next morning I stayed for breakfast but left soon after. I didn't want to be even more of a burden despite my friend's protests.

I walked home, taking the longest route possible in order to avoid crossing Leigh's shop. He should be working today.

When I finally reached my street, I began to walk a little faster. As soon as I heard the faintest indication that a car was approaching, I booked it. I ran to the front door of my house as quickly as I could and hurried inside, closing the door swiftly behind me. I took a moment to catch my breath, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply. My hands were shaking a little, but I did my best to control them. Then placing them on either railing of the stairwell, I brought myself up onto the first step. I just wanted to go lock myself up in my room, but I didn't make it very far.

"Kallina? Is that you?" my mother's voice rang out from around the corner.

"Yeah, it's me," I called back half-heartedly.

My mother appeared in an instant, carrying with her a mixing bowl full of who knows what. Whatever it was, it was blue.

"How was your time with your friend Victoria?" she asked.

"It's 'Violette', Mom..."

"Oh, yes!" she said chuckling as she placed a palm on her forehead. "Violette! I can't believe I forgot her name again!"

_"Again?"_ I questioned, remaining in my place on the stairs. My eyes narrowed slightly.

"Oh, well, you see, when your boyfriend stopped by yesterday he asked to see you, but I told him you weren't home. But I forgot your friend's name so I couldn't really tell him at first where you were, but then I remembered! Of course, I didn't know your friend's address either so I couldn't be of much help to him, BUT I did have that slip of paper you gave me with your friend's number on it, so I just gave that to him in case he needed to get in touch with you. He's so kind! He thanked me and left with a beautiful gleam of passion in his eyes, I'm telling you Kallina, that boy is _completely _head over heels for you! He's such a gentleman! He's just perf-"

"Thanks for letting me know, Mom, but I, uh, really need to go get some homework done."

She smiled up at me and gushed, "Oh, I'm sure you do! My daughter is so dedicated to her studies!"

"Yeah..."

I took another step up the stairs before I was stopped again.

"Oh, hey! If you want a treat later, just come to the kitchen. I'm making brownies!"

I looked back down at my mother and the bowl in her arms.

"...Sure."

As soon as she turned to go back into the kitchen I ran up the stairs and down the hall into my room. I didn't even have time to lock my door before I was flying onto my bed, burying my face into the pillow. I had tried to hold in all of my tears after letting so many of them slip out at Violette's, but now I just couldn't contain them. I cried into my pillow for about an hour before I heard a knock on my door.

I turned to face the door, but before I could say 'go away', the door was already being opened.

"For crying out loud! How long are you going to be like this?!"

Samantha took a step into the room and flipped the light switch on. She crossed her arms and stared.

"Well?!"

"Just go away, Samantha," I replied, burying my face back into the pillow.

"You've been like this for the past couple of days, and I'm already SICK OF IT! You _do_ know I can hear your pathetic sobs through the walls, right?"

I didn't answer her and my sobs began to grow louder and more uncontrollable.

I couldn't help it, and I certainly didn't want to hear her ugly words. I knew she'd only say things like how I deserved it and how he never had feelings for me, and as much as I hated to admit it, maybe she was right.

I heard a sigh and the closing of my bedroom door. I peeked out the side of my pillow and hoped that my sister was gone, but to my surprise she wasn't. Instead she was walking over toward my bed with a completely different expression. One I had never seen before. It almost startled me.

She sighed again and sat down on the edge of my bed. We sat there in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Samantha was staring at the ground and twiddling her thumbs in her lap.

It was becoming unbearable.

"Please, Samantha, I just wanna-"

_"Listen, Kal."_

I turned my head in shock as my sister continued to keep her eyes on the ground in front of her.

_She called me 'Kal'. _ She hasn't called me that since we were really little. Back when we actually got along...

"Kal...I never meant it," she said softly. "I never meant any of it."

I slowly propped myself up onto my right arm to face her better.

"What are you talking about?"

Samantha rubbed her arm and turned toward me just slightly.

"All of those things I said about you...and about your boyfriend...about how he doesn't love you and would never settle for someone like you? I...well, didn't mean them..."

"Oh...?" I was nearly at a loss for words. She was trying to _apologize_. "I-it's okay, Samantha... Thank yo-"

"I'm not done," she said instantly, turning her head to look at me. "It's not just that... I have something important to tell you..."

I looked into her eyes but she averted hers quickly.

"Well, what is it?"

She swallowed and sighed again.

"I just can't stand seeing you like this..."

There was a pause.

"Is that it?" I asked her, but she shook her head.

"No..." She then turned to face be completely. "Kal, he...your boyfriend, I mean...he really _does_ love you!"

I stared up at her in confusion.

"What do yo-?"

"Remember that day? The day you saw him kissing that other girl? The one with silver hair? Well, I stuck around after school with Amber that day and we saw the WHOLE thing. You only saw a part of it...the bad part..."

I began to sit up, my confusion growing with every word she spoke.

"I don't understand. What are you saying?"

_"He DIDN'T kiss her!"_

At this my eyebrows rose.

"What do you mean? I _saw_ him...?"

"NO! You walked out in time to see them _kissing_, BUT it wasn't _he_ who initiated that kiss!"

"Wha-?"

"IT WAS THAT SILVER-HAIRED BITCH!"

My eyes were so wide I felt like they would just fall out of my head.

"Bu-But he was holding her in his arms?!"

"She tripped into him and he caught her! Then as soon as she saw you and your friend come out she kissed him! _He _didn't do anything!"

My brain was so fried by everything she had said that I just couldn't say anything else. I just stared at her in disbelief with a quivering lip.

"R-really...?" I squeaked, my eyes starting to water again.

"YES," my sister said, now standing up and pulling me with her. "Now enough with this sob story! He really DOES love you!"

"Samantha..."

"No, I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth until you go and make up with him! SO GO!" She walked over to my door and opened it. "And I don't want to hear anymore sobbing! Sheesh!" With that she was gone, and I was left standing in tears.

"Thank you," I whispered after her.

I then wasted no time. I quickly grabbed my phone and called Leigh. He didn't answer, and I remembered that whenever he was working he tried to keep his phone off to free himself from distractions. So I called the only person who could help me in a crisis like this.

As I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up, all I could think about were the things I had said to Leigh over the past two days. All of those accusations, all of that pain I had unjustly caused him.

I cried thinking of it all and wondered if he would even take me back after all of this.

But now wasn't the time for pessimism, and luckily for me, my savior soon answered.

"Hello?"

"Lysander! It's me..."

"K-Kallina?! Oh, wow, how are you?! Are you okay?"

"Heh, yeah, I'm okay, Lysander..." My voice was shaking and it was obvious that I had been crying, and I knew that he could tell.

"Are you _sure_? Do you want me to come over?"

"N-no, I really am okay, Lysander, b-but there is _one _thing you could help me with..."

"Of course! Anything! What is it?"

"I really need to talk to Leigh... It's...really important..." My tears just wouldn't stop coming and it was making it hard to speak. "I need to tell him...he needs to know how I feel after everything that's happened...and I don't know what he'll say or if he'll even want to see me right now...but it needs to come out whether he wants to hear it or not..."

I heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line.

"I completely understand, Kallina. We could all see this coming and I won't think any differently of you once it's all over and done with."

"So, will you help me?"

"Of course I will," his voice came back cheerfully. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just...can you arrange a meeting for us or something? Somewhere private where we can both speak our own minds without causing a scene?"

"Hmm, I can think of a place. No worries! I'll set everything up and call you back with the details later."

I sighed happily and closed my eyes.

"Oh, thank you so much Lysander. You really are the best."

"I know."

I forced a laugh through the remaining tears.

"Alright, well I guess I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Absolutely," he replied.

"Bye."

"Bye."

*CLICK*

**Author's Note:**

**WAHHHHHHH! I'M SO SORRRRRRRY! I know I've been gone FOREEEEEVER and I'm sorry. :C This really has been the busiest year of my life, and then I couldn't bring myself to write when I did find some time, SO I decided I would start to write another story to excite my mind to write again, and IT'S WORKED! So, here is ch. 24. More to come, especially since I'm excited for the ending of this one! xD**

**Exactlyamanda & binaryguppy:**** You both had the same question. Is Jade coming back into the picture now? Well, Jade is not exactly **_**that **_**kind of guy. Sure I envision him as straight and all but he was never 'friend-zoned' to begin with as he never had any romantic feelings toward Kallina. She was only his best friend and nothing more. Sooooo no. But he may make a reappearance at some point just cause he's cool. :P**

**Hope you all will still like this story and continue to read. Thank you if so!**

**-Blueberry Blossoms**


End file.
